Environment,Landscape And War:A Study Of Forestry And Local Current Affairs In Shaanxi,1934-1945

In recent times,China has responded to the economic and ecological crisis caused by declining forests by promoting forestry as an important environmental resource policy.How this policy has been implemented locally and how historical factors have influenced forestry construction and forest change require a closer look at specific regions in a given period.This paper will focus on the three themes of environment,landscape and war to explore the forestry and local current affairs in Shaanxi during the period 1934-1945.By uncovering and using a large number of historical materials,especially local archival documents in Shaanxi,the paper will deepen the research on the history of forestry and forestry in the Republic of China from the perspective of the interaction between man and nature in environmental history.The development of forestry in Shaanxi,as a means of achieving bothenvironmental and economic benefits,is not only a reflection of the national policy of’revitalising forestry’,but also a response to the reality of frequent disasters and environmental degradation.During this period,Shaanxi Province’s Arbor Day afforestation campaign expressed a reflection on past natural disasters and a desire to improve the environment and prevent and mitigate disasters through afforestation.In terms of afforestation practices,the plantation campaigns are planned and managed in a scientific and rational manner.A large number of trees have been planted in a short period of time to improve the environment and prevent disasters.This resulted in considerable reforestation and environmental benefits.This suggests that the tree planting festivals held in Shaanxi at this time actively functioned as environmental festivals.The concept of forestry expressed at the Festival was to some extent realised through the afforestation movement.These elements reflect the fact that environmental issues were an important factor driving the development of forestry in China.The protection and creation of forest landscapes with a modern character was also an important part of China’s forestry construction in this period.In Shaanxi,the Nanshan Forest Park had been established and modern forestry technology was actively used to manage and protect the famous scenic forest of Nanwutai.This shows that the landscape value of the forest has been seen as part of the public interest,widely recognised by society and actively protected.At the same time,the scientific and educational function that the Nanshan Forest Park has.This reflects the fact that in the perception of the people of the time the landscape value of the forest not only belonged to the realm of aesthetics,but also had an edifying function for modern civilisation.In addition,Shaanxi actively planted scenic forests in some of the emperor’s tombs.At the time,these tombs were regarded as symbols of the national spirit.The aim of this afforestation activity was to make the forest and the tomb as a whole a political landscape with symbolic connotations,thus conveying to the public the political aspirations of the National Government at the time to promote the national spirit and to save the country.As a result,the forest landscape can be used as an expression of modernity,thus exerting a landscape effect and transmitting cultural values of contemporary significance.The various impacts of modern warfare on China’s forestry and established forests have undoubtedly been enormous.Previous studies have adopted an environmental destruction theory narrative,ignoring the complexities involved.During the war against Japan,Shaanxi took on the task of requisitioning large quantities of military walnut timber.In some areas,walnut trees have been cut down in large numbers,with serious negative effects on the local environment and society.But the authorities are also actively cultivating walnut forests in other areas and protecting the existing walnut trees as a reserve resource.These measures have partly reduced the ecological damage caused by the war.This is despite the fact that these are all aimed at exploiting the walnut wood resource for this purpose.Yet the different initiatives taken in different regions have had different effects on the environment in each place.During the war,Shaanxi set up a reclamation area in the Huanglong Mountains and absorbed and resettled tens of thousands of refugees.Although reclamation has caused a certain degree of damage to the forest cover of Mount Huanglong and has led to environmental problems.However,reclamation managers have become aware of the consequences of environmental damage caused by indiscriminate cultivation.As a result,the planning of reclamation has always focused on the rational use of the land,and efforts have been made to protect and nurture the forests of the Huanglong Mountains.So that the extent of environmental damage has been curbed.These elements show the complexity of the interaction between man and nature.Discussions of the ecological impact of modern warfare therefore require a problem-specific approach.It is not possible to ignore the environmental initiatives of people influenced by modern scientific and environmentalist thinking and to adopt a one-sided ’environmental destructionist’narrative.