Icelandic Forest Service

The Icelandic Forest Service (Icelandic: Skógræktin) is a subordinate agency to the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources of the Government of Iceland. The Icelandic Forest Research Mógilsá (Icelandic: Rannsóknastöð skógræktar) is a research division of the Icelandic Forest Service with headquarters located at Mógilsá, near Reykjavík. Their head of research is Edda Sigurdís Oddsdóttir.

Iceland has been almost entirely devoid of trees, the trees having been cut down since Viking times, when Iceland had 40% forest cover.[1] The forest service has a programme to encourage people to grow trees on Iceland,[2] planting millions of seeds each year.[3] Iceland currently has about 2% forest cover.[4]

The forest service has historically promoted Alaskan Lupines as an aid to reforestation, initially introduced in 1885, and widely spread from 1960 onwards to combat soil erosion.[5] But the plants have turned out to be invasive and spread everywhere, overrunning native plants.[6] Whether introducing the plant was a good idea is contentious.[7]

References
  1. "Iceland is replanting its forests 1,000 years after vikings razed them". Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  2. "Vikings Razed the Forests. Can Iceland Regrow Them?". Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  3. "After 1,000 Years, Iceland Is Growing Forests Again | Science Trends". Science Trends. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  4. Foundation, Thomson Reuters. "Spades, saplings and sheep: Iceland battles to restore long-lost forests". news.trust.org. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  5. "ALASKAN "WOLF" INVADES ICELAND - The Reykjavik Grapevine". The Reykjavik Grapevine. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  6. Magazine, Hakai. "Why Iceland Is Turning Purple | Hakai Magazine". Hakai Magazine. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  7. "Iceland's Purple Fields". www.sciencewanders.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.

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