Uncovering Eucalyptus

Exploring Multispecies Entanglements and Landscape Perceptions in Europe

This research explores the ecological interconnections of eucalyptus plantations in Sardinia (Italy) and Galicia (Spain) near the border with Portugal, using semi-structured interviews, walks, drawings, and community workshops. Drawing on the concept of the 'patchy Anthropocene' developed by Tsing et al. (Tsing, Mathews, and Bubandt 2019), the study analyzes how humans and non-humans interact within ecosystems shaped by the presence of eucalyptus species, considering not only ecological impacts but also cultural perceptions that influence environmental relationships.

One of the key features of this research is that it treats eucalyptus as a non-human research partner. This means I critically observe the forms of cooperation and conflict that eucalyptus generates through its presence in a territory. The method I primarily use in this context is field observation through drawings. The study operates within an interdisciplinary framework that connects disciplines such as botany, ecology, and forestry to assess how different environmental management and afforestation practices involving eucalyptus influence organisms like bees and soil microbiota.

Finally, this study provides empirical insights into the multispecies dynamics of contested landscapes, contributing to broader debates on environmental justice, colonialism, and the biodiversity policies of the EU Green Deal.

Metodologie

Participant Observation

It is an investigative method in which the anthropologist actively participates in the daily life of a community. It combines direct observation with personal experience, allowing for a more intimate and contextualized understanding.

Community Workshops

The "Anthropology with the Territory" workshops are designed to analyze how the territory and the living beings that inhabit it are perceived by communities. The workshops are designed for people aged 8 to 99 years old. They focus on drawing as methodology.

Semistructured Interviews

It is a qualitative methodology I use for interviews with decision-makers, scientists, and other territorial experts.

Ethnographic Drawing

It is a working method I use to observe and "interview" plants and other non-human beings. The drawings are made directly in the field or afterward. In this case, they provide an additional layer of data analysis.

Visual Ethnography

Photographing and filming derived from my training as a visual anthropologist. Video and photos serve as complements to ethnographic data but are not always sufficient. This is why they are complementary to ethnographic drawing.

Software Transana e Protocol

After collecting, the data are anonymized and analyzed with Transana. I am also developing a Research protocol that should help better data collection.

What kind of species are living alongside us? [...] You might, in hearing all this life, be inspired to go home and scrub, and then scrub some more. But here is the other surprise. As my colleagues and I have looked at the life in homes, we have discovered that many of the species in the most diverse homes, the homes fullest of life, are beneficial to us, necessary even.

Rob Dunn, Never Home Alone, p. 10