Amazing and wonderful. Wish this was done on Greek islands and mainland Greece. Thousands of years of mismanagement

@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367

2 жыл бұрын

yep true, would make a huge difference, but enen in england its horrificly deforested.. its just the mild clinate preserves the soil.. but greece is picked bare

@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367

Жыл бұрын

@@detdvr4498 ah come now you indians cut those trees down with uncontroled population growth.. not the british.. They made forestry plantations and introduced trees for timber.. Such as crappy eucalyptus from australia.. Just like all the irrigation networks they built you.. Dobt blame the british on the mess you have today.. Blame yourselves.. If anything they made your situation much better than it otherwise would be ..

Icelander's are learning what it is like to live with forests , some thing they never really thought about

A vid that I'd like to like a million times... :) greetings from Hungary

Reforestation is always a good new.., the air that produce the plants is of optimal quality..,

Interesting use of afforestation. Especially the use of non native trees.

They need to speed this reforestation up. I will be glad to help them reforest.

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

Nice to hear. How would you like to help?

It is likely to be a century long project to get sizeable forests to recolonise the barren tundra plains of Iceland. The key thing is planting the key species sporadically, as that will allow for expansion and leave gaps which other species can colonise, when soils begin to regenerate. It is possible but requires commitment and years of dedication.

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

You are quite right. The fact is however, that the only tree species producing enough seeds for quick expansion of forest land is the native downy birch. Therefore, we have ongoing projects where we plant birch on patches here and there with the aim that the birch seeds it self out to surrounding areas, eventually covering the whole area in question. A pionneering project was initiated around the Hekla volcano where birch forests grew until a few centuries ago, protecting the land in cases of ash fall from the volcano's eruptions. The forests were over-exploited by cutting and sheep grazing, leaving the land vulnerable to erosion forces. By speeding up reforestation with birch, we halt the erosion and carbon emissions from decaying soils, in turn regaining forests which sequester carbon and protect the land from the elements. We could achieve the same results with other more resourceful tree species but that would both take more time and money. More projects like the one around Mount Hekla have already started or are being planned. With the method described, magnificent results can be achieved in only one or two decades.

greetings from ireland, well done and thanks.. will be keeping in touch

great to see. greetings from UK.

CONGRATULATIONS! 🌲🌲🌲

Love your mittens. You are doing work to save the world.

You guys should plant Canaan firs , and Red Spruce.

This is great and best of luck! I would also mention that Ireland and Scotland have similar projects. I worry about the American forests. They are cutting smaller and smaller trees. There is great pressure for lumber for housing. Judging

Dennis is awesome, if you ever have a chance to take his class do it.

Iceland is cool place to visit !,

Has anyone looked into the Spruces? They are cold hardy and grow fast. I am not sure what the water compatability would be there.

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, indeed we have tried spruces, in fact several species of them but mostly Norway spruce and Sitka spruce. Sitka spruce is the most promising one and really the only one widely used in Icelandic forestry. Actually, the tallest single tree in Iceland is a Sitka spruce planted in Kirkjubæjarklaustur South East Iceland in 1949. That particular tree will probably be reaching the height of 30 meters this summer or the next. Such tall trees havent been growing in Iceland since the end of the Ice Age. Along with black cottonwood, Sitka spruce is the fastest growing tree species in Icelandic forestry. Both are quite demanding though, in terms of soil fertility, so we cannot use them on poor sites.

Very interesting-the firts settlers found the land forested with birch-are you planting birch trees as well?

Have you had any luck planting lodgepole pines within the fields of lupine? The lupine would add nitrogen for the pines, but I'm guessing the size of the lupine would inhibit the colonization of pines and other trees.

A wealth of information in your replies to comments. I imagine restoring wetlands also helps forests grow and with biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

Very interesting I like to work there if possible please!!!!

Have you tried Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)? It holds promise as a suitable tree species for introduction in Iceland due to its adaptability to cold and windy conditions. Native to Northern Europe, it shares climatic similarities with Iceland, making it a resilient candidate for reforestation efforts. Scots Pine's ability to tolerate harsh environments, coupled with its relatively fast growth, could help expedite the restoration of woodland ecosystems in Iceland, which have been historically sparse. However, careful monitoring and management are essential to prevent potential invasive tendencies and ensure the species' integration aligns with local environmental goals.

@landogskogur

8 ай бұрын

Yes, indeed we have tried Scots pine. Actually, that was the most promising species in Icelandic forestry in the years after the Second World War. Then the pine wooly aphid showed up (Pineus pini) and killed probably about 98% of the trees. The few trees that survived the epidemic have produced seeds and we have put out experiments with seedlings from those trees along with a number of other provenances and seed orchard material. The "Icelandic" ones showed by far the best results. However, the Scots pine grows slowly in Iceland and doesen't promise to be a viable species for commercial forestry over here. Despite that we hope that more Scots pine trees will be planted in Icelandic forests in the future, not least for added diversity and decoration purposes. Meanwhile the Contorta pine will still be planted on poor soil as it has remarkable soil-improving qualities. Even though it maybe isn't the best timber tree available, it is a great pionneering species, prepairing the soil for a second generation of more valuable species but still producing lots of biomass and even sawtimber on the most successful plots.

@Hallo85000

8 ай бұрын

@@landogskogurwhat other species have you tried? Sorry I am just curious.

@landogskogur

8 ай бұрын

@@Hallo85000 Over sixty tree species have been tried in Iceland, many of them mainly in gardens rather than in forestry. We have five tree species that we use most in afforestation projects, downy birch, Russian larch (and a hybrid of Russian larch and European larch), Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine and black cottonwood. A few more are much used as well, often for decorational purposes, for shelter belts or in certain places or areas which require some special features or qualities, for Christmas tree growing and more. I can mention rowan (mountain ash), several willow species, alder, prunus, silver birch, Norway spruce, Engelmann spruce, mountain fir, Siberian pine (cembra pine) and more. For the future, Douglas fir is considered a quite promising species, provided that it would be planted in older thinned forests for shelter during young age. Although in Icelandic, you should get some glimpse of the main species we have been trying in Icelandic forestry by visiting our website: For conifers: www.skogur.is/barrtre For deciduous trees: skogur.is/lauftre

@Hallo85000

8 ай бұрын

@@landogskogur thank you! I have been researching Iceland a lot lately and I am extremely interested in Icelandic reforestation projects! Thank you again!

@margroningen

5 ай бұрын

@@landogskogur Thanks for the info. I knew about what happened to the pinus sylvestris and the succes of pinus contorta. But, I wonder if you have considered other pine species aswell? In The Netherlands, pinus sylvestris is our native pine tree, but we also have succes with the Austrian pine (pinus nigra var. nigra), which is doing well when it comes to drought, extreme wind and both low and high temperatures. Next to sitka spruce, Corsican pine, sea ​​buckthorn, and sea/maritime pine (pinus pinaster), they are the only trees doing well in sea wind. It might be a good species for Iceland too? ~Marjet

What about trees from the southern hemisphere, places like Patagonia or Tierra Del Fuego is bound to have some that can grow in Iceland?

@Fallacia_Konstantinos

2 жыл бұрын

Especially the nothofagus forests, are my favorite of the Patagonian landscape!!! Those cold climate tree species, having a so strange & beautiful shape, looking like more from a distance, as tropical trees or even as wild & wind fighting, cypress trees.

I met Christine last fall!

Could the Pine tree addition to your birch forests there eventually cause more fire risk? Pine is quite flammable in fact the softwood and oil content in the foliage and Forest litter can act as an accelerant and fast fuel following an ignition source.

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

Fire risk in Icelandic vegetated land is mainly due to dead plant matter in late winter until early summer when newgrowth exceeds dead grass and other leftovers from previous year's low growing plants. Healthy living trees and forests are not particularly flammable. Living lodgepole pine trees aren't especially prone to catch fire either but when they finally begin to burn for real, you certainly get one hell of a fire. In untouched lodgepole pine forests, stands are usually so densely populated that the trees self-thin. In other words, they out-compete each other, leaving dead trees standing. These become a dry ladder fuel accelerating the fire, risking that it reaches the crown of living trees. In such cases it can jump from tree to tree, becoming litterally unstoppable. By managing the forests as well as with careful planning at the beginning, fire risk can be put to a minimum. An ongoing multilateral cooperation project in Iceland is supposed to further strengthen vegetation fire prevention in the country as well as general knowledge and emergency responsiveness.

Do they want any of our Norway maples? We have seedlings in our yard every year.

@landogskogur

Жыл бұрын

Are you offering to send Norway maple seeds? Maples are doing quite good in some areas in Iceland.

@charlesstanford1310

Жыл бұрын

@@landogskogur I'd be glad to send seeds if I knew where to send them.

@landogskogur

Жыл бұрын

@@charlesstanford1310 Thank you so much for your nice offer. Here is the address of our division of reproductive material: Skógræktin Vöglum, b.t. Valgerðar, Vöglum, 607 Akureyri, Iceland. Please include the origin of the seeds and place of collection.

@charlesstanford1310

Жыл бұрын

@@landogskogur Excellent, thank you!

💚🌲💚

Just wondering, are there deciduous nut trees that might be a good fit?

@landogskogur

22 күн бұрын

Not really. Some species of nut trees have been tried, mostly in home gardens, but our climate seems to be too cold and unpredictable for those. That applies for most fruit trees as well. Occasional spring and autumn frosts are a big threat in Iceland for many tree species, even those we use the most in forestry. When the forests grow up, however, many species which don't have a chance on open land can benefit from the canopy shelter. Who knows what rising temperatures, longer summers and more forest cover will bring us in the future.

i am extending my house very soon and a tree (not big) is slap bang in the middle of it....my heart is so conflicted and its the only tree in my yard. cant relocate it...

Only if there was a machine/robot to plant these seedballs properly fast at scale and water these seedballs once in while. Maybe if the seedball was made by adding manure of local species like goats and cows, they may not eat it. #savesoil

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

You are quite right. We are indeed looking at seedballs, direct machine sowing simultaneously with land preparation work, and other effective innovative methods that can impvove efficiency. The use of drones is also being considered. More cost-efficient methods are particularly important for projects aiming at accelerating the expansion of the native birch woodlands. In commercial forestry, things are allowed to cost a little more, although increased efficiency is highly preferable there too.

First I will say; it is a joy to follow the progress in Iceland. Question: Will it be possible to grow Canadian Redwood pine in Iceland? Without a doubt; there should be plenty of space in Iceland, in order to accommodate trees of this size. Keep up the good work. BR. KMAT from Denmark

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

If you mean red pine (Pinus resinosa), that species hasn't been tested much in Iceland. Assuming from those few specimens that have been planted in a few areas scattered around the island, it doesn't seem to be very promising. With warmer summers in recent years though, the results seem to be a little better than before. If the warm-up goes on, we will probably have better chance to grow this particular species over here. The red pine doesn't like shade, so it would need to grow in open patches of land, rather than in older woods. That means more risk of late spring frosts and early autumn frosts. But if only for added diversity in our forests and gardens, it's worth the try to plant red pine in carefully chosen sheltered and sunny spots.

@kmathisted5889

3 жыл бұрын

@@landogskogur First I will say thanks for your feedback. It is so delightful to see the passion in your work up there. It will be interesting to follow, how many trees will be planted within the following years to come. I’ve taken notice of your fine new forest but I didn’t see smaller vegetation between the threes; is there any reason? This is why I’m taking the liberty to recommend a couple of plants in order to have some variation. (Amelanchier spicata) This is a resilient plant that generates barriers for the birds; you can also choose to make a good marmalade of it. Here in Denmark; we plant it between the threes. It grows up to around 5m. It can handle: Cold climate. High wind. It can be planted in more or less all kinds of soil conditions. And it doesn’t require a huge amount of light. It can even handle some measure of salt. (Hippophae rhamnoides) This is a very resilient plant which can take a lot; it can almost grow in all kind of conditions. You can make a fantastic marmalade out of this; furthermore, you can add it to Snaps and beer with a wonderful result. Keep up the good work.

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

@@kmathisted5889 We have two species which are very well suited for afforestation on barren land, the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Siberian larch (Larix sibirica). Especially the larch, we can plant on completely vegetation-free sands and gravel land. The pine needs a little more soil but both species cope very well in such conditions with the help of fungi. By time, lower vegetation starts to colonise these areas, also in the pine forest, given that it isn't too densely planted and thinning work is normal. For the first few years you will not see much other vegetation unless you make some measures to speed that development up. After that, especially native birch and willows start to seed themselves in along with various flowering species and more. The Amelanchier spicata has been tried in gardens over here, but not in forestry, as far as I know, as well as the related species Amelanchier alnifolia (of which I happen to have one in my garden, by the way). Thank you for the tips. Lupin has been used quite widely for land reclamation purposes and lupin areas are quite well suitable for afforestation projects. For example, reclamation of native birch woods goes much faster with the help of the lupin than without. Also, we are experimenting on other nitrogen-fixing plant species which are less controversial. But the use of Amelanchier species is a very interesting idea!

@jbagger331

2 жыл бұрын

@@landogskogur What about species from Tierra Del Fuego, there are bound to be some that would grow in Iceland?

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

@@jbagger331 Indeed, some species from Terra Del Fuego have been tried, such as the Nothofagus antarctica, which is promising in sheltered places with drained soil, although without hope of any notable use as timber tree or other resource. The evergreen N. betuloides doesn't seem to like it over here which is a pity. In the Faroe Islands, it is doing well however. Do you recommend us to try any in particular? Maybe the Pilgerodendron uviferum?

Is this natural growth or planned planting? What is the biodiversity like for the insects and animals that could live in Iceland?

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

The conifer forests and black cottonwood is planned planting. These introduced species are seeding themselves out a bit but that is very limited and easily controllable. Afforestation projects in Iceland have resulted in richer bird life for instance. We now have several new species of birds that didn't thrive here before such as the goldcrest (Regulus regulus), blackbird (Turdus merula) and more. The same is for insects and low-growing vegetation. We have new species of insects, for example a few species of honey bees and wasps. In general, the vegetation in Iceland is getting richer. Research shows that biodiversity doesn't decline with afforestation projects. On the contrary, forests are often grown on badly eroded lands where biodiversity has declined due to overgrazing through the ages. Apart from forests with introduced species, big projects are ongoing to reclaim native birch woodlands. In fact, downy birch is the most planted tree species in Iceland. The sole thing hampering the birch from regaining ground in Iceland is sheep grazing. It's highly important to increase control of sheep grazing in the country to promote the healing of Iceland's vegetative ecosystems. That's the path to take for improved biodiversity in Iceland. Forestry in Iceland has two main goals. The one is to protect and expand the native birch forests and shrubs. The other is to grow productive forests for timber exploitation, for carbon sequestration and other benefits such as shelter from winds, recreation and more.

@groovy_bear

3 жыл бұрын

@@landogskogur Wow thank you very much for the detailed answer ! :) Very nice to hear introduced tree species also bring their own biodiversity that adds up to what previously existed on the Island. Do you know how these new species arrived on the island ?

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

@@groovy_bear The biggest event causing the arrival of the goldcrest to Iceland is thought to have been a big autumn storm in 1995 with easterly or north-easterly winds blowing from Scandinavia to Iceland. Flocks of migrating goldcrests were probably blown to the island regularly before that, but it wasn't until conifer forests had grown up in Iceland - and those being colonised by insects - that this smallest bird species of Europe had any chance to survive here. The goldcrest is a migrating bird by nature but here it doesn't have the chance to leave in autumn because of the long distance to mainland Europe, which is about 500 miles. So it is forced to stay, relying on small insects on conifer trees, especially the green spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum). Mostly the same story is to be told of the European blackbird (Turdus merula) as of many other wandering bird species. In towns and villages, people have been feeding the blackbirds during the winter, which most certainly has helped them thrive and multiply. But now it seems that they are somehow beginning to survive on their own, probably by feeding on berries out in the wild, insects and maybe something they manage to find by the coastline or in snow-free areas in the wintertime.

@groovy_bear

3 жыл бұрын

@@landogskogur Interesting ! And what about insects, such as the green spruce aphid that you mention ? From what I understand, only seeds are allowed to be brought to iceland for reforestation (apart from locally produced seeds I mean), so it can't be that they came with seedlings from abroad...

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

@@groovy_bear That one was brought in with imported Christmas trees which is á bad thing. Should be banned in our view.

Instead of spending 100 mil on carbon capture, plant 10 million trees in Iceland. (Properly, there is a mashing for it)

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

We totally agree with you. Of course, technical advances in carbon capture programs are important, but for the money, we could indeed plant millions of trees, which are proven to give the intended results, not to mention all the other benefits trees and forests provide.

@groovy_bear

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, though the right order of magnitude is rather 10 *billions* than 10 million trees for Iceland to be significantly forested ;)

Have you ever thought of using urine as fertiliser.

trees don't grow very high there do they :(

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

Well, the main tree species used in commercial and carbon forestry in Iceland do indeed grow similarly well as comparable tree species at the same latitudes in Scandinavia. The tallest tree in Iceland should reach 30 meters of height this year or the next. It is still growing half a meter every year. That particular tree is a Sitka spruce planted in South-East Iceland in 1949. We have over 20 meters tall specimens of 10 different tree species in the country and all are still growing. The reason trees in Iceland seem small is very simple. They are young. Apart from the only native tree species forming forests in Iceland, the downy birch. That one only reaches about 14 meters tall maximum. In most areas though, it is only growing in the form of shrubs or low-growing trees.

Make Iceland Green Again I am writing from Belgium. I was in Iceland for vacations in May and June 2018. Among other, I visited Vaglaskogur, the place singed by Kaleo and I saw tries. Another day, I was near Hella and I tried to visit the Sagnagarður Centre, an organization whose goal is the soil restoration. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and the Centre was closed. But I sent my drone to appreciate the results of their works and that was positive. I'm sorry I thought of Trump, a universal idiot, and of his phrase "Make America Great Again" but that inspired me "Make Iceland Green Again" and I was sad to be too old to help them to do that. When you enter Iceland, you are asked to sign a document that commits you to respect the nature of the country, both its geology and its biology. And that, it is great.

@quantumshadow4218

2 жыл бұрын

actually trump stole that phrase from a british police comedy movie called "hot fuzz" the original one is "make sandford great again" kzread.info/dash/bejne/eJipk7mEg9WccdY.html

And pines grow barely alone, don’t need any special care..,

REFORESTAR REFORESTAR árboles nativos para que VUELVA el ciclo de vida. No existiría el cambio climático. No existiría el calentamiento global. PRIORIDAD para todos los países del mundo. DÓNDE están los AMBIENTALISTAS del mundo. Juntos podemos

@MrKorton

3 жыл бұрын

Non native are also welcome to most people here. Lodgepole pine fits really well and is a wonderful tree.

@landogskogur

3 жыл бұрын

We have ongoing big reforestation projects with native birch. In fact, native birch is the most planted tree species in Iceland. The trouble with that particular species is that it has very low productivity and doesn't yield usable timber. Therefore, we use introduced species that are well adapted to the Icelandic climate. Actually, they are even better adapted to the climate over here than the native birch which is struggling in places due to the warming climate. It's important to keep in mind that Iceland is within the boreal zone. The only reason for conifer species not growing her naturally is time. They just hadn't arrived yet, after the last Ice Age Period. It would most probably have happened in the end, but no one knows when. Of course, Norway spruce and Scots pine would have been more likely to arrive here than Sitka spruce or lodgepole pine but the latter are much more suitable for the Icelandic climate. In the battle with climate change, productive tree species are much more sensible to use, as they sequester five to ten times more carbon per hectare than the native Icelandic birch. Tenemos grandes proyectos de reforestación en curso con abedul nativo. De hecho, el abedul nativo es la especie arbórea más plantada en Islandia. El problema con esa especie en particular es que tiene una productividad muy baja y no produce madera utilizable. Por lo tanto, utilizamos especies introducidas que se adaptan bien al clima islandés. En realidad, están incluso mejor adaptados al clima de aquí que el abedul nativo que está luchando en algunos lugares debido al clima cálido. Es importante tener en cuenta que Islandia se encuentra dentro de la zona boreal. La única razón por la que las especies de coníferas no la cultivan de forma natural es el tiempo. Simplemente no habían llegado todavía, después del último período de la Edad de Hielo. Lo más probable es que hubiera sucedido al final, pero nadie sabe cuándo. Por supuesto, la picea de Noruega y el pino silvestre hubieran tenido más probabilidades de llegar aquí que la picea de Sitka o el pino lodgepole, pero estos últimos son mucho más adecuados para el clima islandés. En la batalla contra el cambio climático, las especies de árboles productivos son mucho más sensibles al uso, ya que secuestran de cinco a diez veces más carbono por hectárea que el abedul islandés nativo.

@bradleywoods3742

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrKorton The problem with non native trees is that they don't offer any ecological value, especially in iceland where there are a select few native tree species and it's isolated geography. If people find them useful then sure plant them in specific areas for felling but they should not be used for woodland regeneration.

@liamomalley5779

2 жыл бұрын

Sí, esto es posible con el abedul pero para madera de construcíon necessitamos algo mas grande. soy encantada con los álamos...

@landogskogur

2 жыл бұрын

​@@bradleywoods3742 Both lodgepole pine and Siberian larch have unique qualities for soil improvement. Those species can be planted in areas with poor nutrition levels. That's an important ecological value. The introduction of foreign tree species has improved conditions for many native bird species, not t least because productive forests are a much richer source of insects and other feed for the birds. Furthermore, several new bird species, that were occasional before, now have fruitful forest ecosystems to thrive in. Those are species like the European blackbird, Europe's smallest bird, the goldcrest, also the fieldfare, woodcock, long-eared owl and more. The main reason for the small number of native tree species is other species didn't manage to arrive to the island after the last Ice Age period. By time, more species would probably have been brought to Iceland by winds, birds, driftwood, waves or other natural means. Keep in mind that Iceland is in the boreal zone. Conifers are much better adapted to the Icelandic climate than for example downy birch. With warming climate we now see signs of the birch becoming more vulnerable to pests and deseases. It's highly possible that the native birch will be retreating from many lowland areas in the coming decades because of the warming. Research indicates that biological diversity is not threatened by the introduced tree species. But of course, planting trees on treeless land (also the birch) changes both the appearance of the land and its ecology. That is also the case when you change land use by starting or halting sheep grazing, by applying land reclamation measures and so on. Iceland is not an unspoiled nature haven. Only a minor part of Icelandic vegetation ecosystems can be considered healthy or sustainable. The majority is highly eroded and the main cause is unsustainable human exploitation. Both by reforesting the island with native birch, willows and mountain ash (rowan) and by growing healthy productive forests for carbon sequestration, timber production, soil-improvement and more, we are building a better and more sustainable future for the island.