Vikings Razed Iceland's Lush Birch Forests, Reforesting Is A Struggle

Iceland used to be a country filled with forests. However, when Vikings colonized the said country, their actions resulted in the deforestation of the territory. Because of this, the country currently struggles to reforest its nation.

Forests can be rarely found in Iceland as the nation is considered to be Europe's least forested nation. The uninhabited North Atlantic island used to be covered with mostly birch trees when seafaring Vikings occupied the island.

The forest was reduced to only 3% with settlers cutting down trees as material for their houses and to convert these forests to grazing pastures.

The country finds it difficult to regrow trees because of active volcanoes and the harsh climate. A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2015 report tells that only 0.5% forest cover the island's surface.

"The lack of trees means there isn't any vegetation to protect the soil from eroding and to store water, leading to extensive desertification despite the country's far northern location," as stated by Phys.

Problems related to erosion also plague the country. In order to convert the lunar landscape in Hafnarsandur into a forest, the authorities have mandated the Icelandic Forest Service to do this task.

"This is one of the worst examples of soil erosion in Iceland on low land," said Hreinn Oskarsson, the service's head of strategy.

"Since 2015, between three and four million trees have been planted in Iceland, the equivalent of about 1,000 hectares," Phys emphasized.

The country began its efforts in reforestation since the 1950s, and Iceland was able to regain some of its greenery.