Forestation activity in Iceland will take a leap this year and it is anticipated close to four million new trees will be planted; which is a million more than last year. Birch, larch, Alaska aspen, lodgepole pine, and Sitka spruce are the trees to be planted in the greatest numbers.

The Icelandic Forst Service

The Iceland Forest Service coordinates trail maintenance and wilderness management projects with international volunteers in Thórsmörk, Goðaland and beyond, a stunningly beautiful nature resort in Southern Iceland.

In a 14-year trial near the Keflavik International Airport in Southwest Iceland, local provenances of downy birch were poorer in performance than many other southern provenances. For afforestation with downy birch, it is recommended that high-performing provenances be planted with initial artificial fertilization, accompanied by simultaneous seeding of lupine.

In a newly published article in the journal Icelandic Agricultural Sciences two scientists at the Icelandic Forest Research, Arnór Snorrason and Þorbergur Hjalti Jónsson, suggest allometric models for general use in Iceland for inventories of native birch woodlands and scrub. This information adds to the ever-improving tools available for reliable measure of biomass in Icelandic forestland.