Roots of empire : forests and state power in early modern Spain, c.1500-1750 / by John T. Wing.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-262) and index.

List of maps, figures, and tables -- Introducing Spanish state forestry -- The Widow's Oak and the Spanish state in the Valley of Carriedo -- The politics of wood shortage fears in the early modern world -- Spanish forest landscapes from prehistory to the reconquest -- Plan of the work -- A new state forestry for the first global age -- Forests of the Ultramar -- The struggle to stay afloat in the seventeenth century -- Bottoming out and revival under the First Bourbon, 1700-1746 -- The triumph of state forestry : 1748-1754.

"Roots of Empire is the first monograph to connect forest management and state-building in the early modern Spanish global monarchy. The Spanish crown's control over valuable sources of shipbuilding timber in Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines was critical for developing and sustaining its maritime empire. This book examines Spain's forest management policies from the sixteenth century through the middle of the eighteenth century, connecting the global imperial level with local lived experiences in forest communities impacted by this manifestation of expanded state power. As home to the early modern world's most extensive forestry bureaucracy, Spain met serious political, technological, and financial limitations while still managing to address most of its timber needs without upending the social balance"--Provided by publisher.