PEATLAND HISTORY
In 1957 Du Rietz published a paper "Linné som myrforskare" with a ten-page
English summary "Linnaeus as a paludologist" where he tries to establish
what was known about mires in the 17-18th centuries. Who was the first to
distinguish between bog and fen (Stenius in 1742), a description of a
something like a lagg fen (King on Ireland in 1685) etc. Not surprisingly
he concludes that Linnaeus was one of the founders of mire research. I
think it is far too common that botanists who write the history of science
credit Linneaus for insights that he probably did not have.
In a famous paragraph from his journey to Lapland, Linnaeus finds himself
deep in a mire and regrets ever having started the journey. "Never could
the preacher so describe hell..." I guess there is an English translation
somewhere (Iter lapponicum).
We still have some copies left of Du Rietz' paper if anyone is interested.
Please mail me directly, rather than swamping the bes-mire.
Håkan Rydin
____________________________________________________
Håkan Rydin
Avd. f växtekologi, Evolutionsbiologiskt centrum, Uppsala universitet
Department of Plant Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University
Villavägen 14 fax: 018-55 34 19 (int +46 18 55 34 19)
S-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden tel: 018-471 2854 (int +46 18 471 2854)
http://www.vaxtbio.uu.se/resfold/groups.htm#mire
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|