At least 250 tree rings have been counted in a common juniper tree at Hólasandur land reclamation area which lies jus north of the Lake Mývatn Nature Reserve in North Iceland. That individual plant is therefore the oldest "tree" known to grow in Iceland. Great magnification is needed to count the superthin tree rings of the Icelandic juniper which is very slow-growing.

Do you wonder which might be be the most common tree species in Icelandic commercial forests? The answer to this is among things found in a new publication titled Nordic Forest Statistics 2023. You will also find interesting knowledge such as the fact that although the Nordic countries only account for 1.6% of the world's total forest area, Sweden and Finland contribute 16% of global exports of sawnwood products and paper.

Biochar made from Icelandic thinningwood could be put to good use for long-term carbon sequestration in farmland soil and at the same time increase the quality of the soil and thus the yield. Possibilities for this will be explored in a research project that Skógræktin – the Icelandic Forest Service (IFS) is currently working on in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI) and others. Response is awaited to an application for funding costly soil sample analysis, which is vital for the results of the study. The idea is to take extensive soil samples in the project at least the next three to five years.

In a new study, mortality of Russian larch seedlings, due to a damaged root system, occurred not only in the first year but was still ongoing after two growing seasons. These results emphasise the importance of ensuring the quality of forest seedlings before planting.

Five volunteers from the Portuguese youth organization Agora Aveiro participated in forestry projects during their stay in Iceland from April 20 to 30. The voluntary work was planned in collaboration with the volunteer organization SEEDS and the Icelandic Forest Service with the support of the European program Erasmus+.