Forests, Fuelwood, Pulpwood, and Lumber in Spain, 1860–2000: A Non-Declensionist Story

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Abstract
This article analyzes wood consumption in Spain between 1860 and 2000, taking into account underlying forces and exploring the effects on Spanish forests. The use of wood as a source of power tended to decline in Spain after the dawn of its industrial development, but this was compensated for by the use of wood as a raw material for industrial and urban purposes. The transition between those two models of wood consumption was very slow. Until the 1960s, the consumption of firewood remained high due to the difficulties in extending modern energy networks, and this coincided with a slow but continuous growth of wood consumption as a raw material. From the 1960s on, firewood consumption collapsed, but the use of wood as a raw material grew rapidly. This article shows the links between those transformations and major changes in the economic, technological, social, and political evolution of the country. It also explores the effects of wood consumption on the Spanish forests, highlighting the complex relationship between those two variables. In the long run, the growth of wood consumption did not lead to a national deforestation, but it did significantly affect the nature and the quality of the forests in Spain.

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