WHY ARE THERE ALMOST NO FORESTS IN ICELAND? A STORY THAT BEGAN MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS AGO
- Roman Pech
- 17. 7.
- Minut čtení: 5
When I first arrived in Iceland, many things surprised me. The volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and endless lava fields were even more impressive than I had ever imagined.
But one thing caught my attention much more.
Where are all the trees? Kilometres of breathtaking landscapes, mountains, rivers, waterfalls… and almost no forests. At first glance, it seems that Iceland has always looked this way.
But the reality is completely different.
🌳 WHEN THE FIRST SETTLERS ARRIVED IN ICELAND, THE LANDSCAPE LOOKED DIFFERENT
The first Norse settlers arrived in Iceland around the year 870.
They did not find a barren lava desert.
Archaeological and palaeobotanical research shows that approximately 25 to 40 percent of the island was covered by birch forests and shrubland. They were not vast spruce or pine forests like those found in Scandinavia, but the landscape was certainly not as open as it is today.
Birch trees, willows, and junipers grew mainly in lowlands and sheltered valleys.
For the first settlers, they represented an invaluable source of wood.
But at the same time, they began to disappear.
⚔️ AXES DID NOT DESTROY ICELAND’S FORESTS. SHEEP PLAYED THE BIGGEST ROLE
When people talk about the disappearance of Iceland’s forests, most imagine Vikings with axes.
Yes, wood was essential. They used it to build houses, boats, and tools. They burned it for heating and produced charcoal from it.
But cutting down trees alone probably would not have been enough to cause such a dramatic change.
The much bigger problem came later — with sheep.
Sheep grazed on young trees before they had a chance to grow. The forests could no longer regenerate naturally.
At the same time, severe erosion, frequent volcanic eruptions, and strong winds carrying away the fertile topsoil made the situation even worse.
Over the course of several centuries, most of Iceland’s forests disappeared.
🌍 WHY IS ICELAND THE “LAND OF ICE” AND GREENLAND THE “GREEN LAND”?
This is one of the most common questions visitors ask when they arrive in Iceland.
At first glance, it does not seem to make much sense.
Iceland is far greener than Greenland, while around 80% of Greenland is covered by a massive ice sheet.
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So why do these names seem to have almost the opposite meaning?
A popular explanation says that it was a clever Viking marketing strategy.
According to this story, Iceland was named Ísland – “Land of Ice” to discourage other settlers from coming, while Greenland – Grænland, “Green Land” – was named to attract new colonists.
It is a fascinating story.
But the reality is more complicated.
According to the medieval Landnámabók (The Book of Settlements), Iceland received its name after the Norwegian explorer Flóki Vilgerðarson saw a fjord filled with ice during one winter.
He therefore named the island Ísland.
Not because the entire country was covered in ice.
But because this was the image he remembered from his journey.
Several decades later, Erik the Red discovered the southwestern coast of Greenland.
According to The Saga of Erik the Red, he named the new colony Grænland because, as the saga states:
“Því at menn munu fýsa þangat at fara, ef landit hefir gott nafn.”
In English:
“People will be willing to travel there if the land has a good name.”
But it was not entirely a lie.
The southern part of Greenland really is surprisingly green during the summer. Sheep farming continues there today, and agriculture has a long tradition in the region.
🌬️ SO WHY ARE THERE ALMOST NO FORESTS IN ICELAND? NOT JUST THE COLD CLIMATE — MAINLY WIND AND EROSION
Many people believe that trees cannot grow in Iceland because of the cold climate.
But similar conditions exist in parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Alaska.
And forests grow there.
Iceland’s problem was different.
Once the natural protection of the landscape disappeared, wind began carrying away the soil. The roots of young trees were exposed, and new forests had an increasingly difficult time surviving.
That is why today, in many places, you see vast lava fields or rocky landscapes where a new forest would develop extremely slowly without human intervention.
🌱 ICELAND IS SLOWLY TAKING BACK ITS FORESTS
There is one more thing that may surprise you.
Today, Iceland is planting trees on a large scale.
Forest restoration programmes have been running for several decades, and in many places the results are clearly visible.
The most famous example is Hallormsstaðaskógur, Iceland’s largest forest, located in the east of the island. Large wooded areas can also be found near Reykjavík, for example in Heiðmörk, as well as in many newly planted forests throughout the country.
These forests contain not only native birch trees, but also spruce, larch, and other species that have proven successful in Icelandic conditions.
However, the changes will be slow.
Trees in Iceland grow much more slowly than in Central Europe.
Strong winds, a short growing season, and poor soil mean that a forty-year-old tree can look like a ten-year-old tree in Central Europe.
🌲 “IF YOU GET LOST IN AN ICELANDIC FOREST…”
Icelanders have a great sense of humour.
One of their most famous jokes goes:
“Hvað gerirðu ef þú villist í íslenskum skógi? Stattu upp.”
In English:
“What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up.”
The joke exists because for centuries most Icelandic forests were low and sparse.
Today, however, it is becoming less accurate.
In some places, trees are now reaching heights that would have seemed almost impossible only a few decades ago.
CONCLUSION: ICELAND IS NOT A LAND WITHOUT TREES
When I travel through Iceland today, I notice one thing.
In many places, new forests are slowly appearing.
It is not a change that a visitor will notice during a single holiday.
But when you return to the island after several years, you begin to see it.
Iceland is not a country where trees have never grown.
It is a country that lost a large part of its forests.
And today, it is patiently trying to bring them back.
Perhaps that is why the sight of a young birch grove growing in the middle of a black lava landscape is one of the most beautiful symbols of nature’s ability to start again.
About the Author
Iceland has fascinated me for many years. Over the course of numerous journeys across the island, I have driven tens of thousands of kilometers, experienced storms that changed travel plans within minutes, and witnessed days when choosing the right route meant discovering places that most visitors never see. I documented many of these experiences in my documentary film Island in the North.
Through this website, I share practical travel advice, up-to-date information, and firsthand experiences from the field to help others explore Iceland more safely and gain a deeper understanding of its unique landscapes and ever-changing nature.
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