With Which Trees Is Life Possible? Forest Landscapes and Ways of Living in the North of Mendoza (Argentina), from Pre-hispanic Times to the Present

Abstract

The conformation of the forest landscape of northern Mendoza (Argentina) shows us how, with the passage of time, modern conceptions materialized in a fragmentation between irrigated and drained (o desiccated) spaces, generating oasis and desert areas. In this paper we propose a temporal segmentation that accounts for this polarization. Periods containing historical events that allow us to discuss the change in society-environment relations from the pre-hispanic, colonial and modern periods to the present day, through a synthesis of anthropological, historical and ethnographic data. As we will see, the link with Nature is understood as a constant dispute, advancement and domestication, in which water management plays a fundamental role. To this we add the tensions generated between the native and the foreign, whether they are human or trees. We emphasize the problem of how trees are entangled in environmental, political or ethnic orders (among others), in order to discuss the current configuration of the landscape in the region. Finally, we return to the discussion of the current case to reflect on the historical character of the shaping of the forest landscape, and through this conclusion begin to imagine alternatives to the environmental challenges of the region.