Where are all the trees?

In my last article I covered my wedding at Lewis Ginter botanical gardens, and it only feels proper that I follow it with my Honeymoon trip to the Faroe Islands. Upon my immediate arrival I was aghast at first sight at the sheer beauty of the landscape; the rocky green mountain sides, the sharp jutting islands stabbing out of the sea, and the scooping clouds that fall from peaks to sea. In all of this overwhelming awe, I noticed something was amiss – no trees to be seen in any direction!

As I ventured into the smaller towns and villages, I found a few maples and other small, scrubby trees tucked between the houses and buildings, nothing much larger than 30 feet or the peaks of the roofs. These shorter trees were all non native trees that were planted for ornamental aesthetic purposes, to decorate a public space or to complement a yard, but nearly none of these trees existed beyond the edges of the city. I did notice a few densely packed mini forests, tucked into a crevasse close to the shoreside, but a forest is a generous term for an area that seemed no bigger than a few acres.

The climate, terrain and conditions make it very difficult for the trees to take root. Although the weather was very mild and fairly tame during my visit, the islands are known for their sudden severe weather patterns that can bring high winds at a moment’s notice. There were a lot of trees that were propped in place, and looked to have been permanently staked because of the likeliness of getting blown over in the frequent gales. The terrain also limits the potential for trees. The majority of the islands are in the mountains, above 300m (approx 1000 ft) above sea level, the environment is considered alpine tundra where no trees can grow.

Were there ever native trees and if so, what happened to them? There have been remnants of Downy Birch trees found in the soil that date back to the 2300 BCE, as well as pollen from the Common Hazel, suggesting that these may have been a native trees at some point. It’s possible that early settlers such as the Vikings in 850 CE, or the Scotts in 500 CE, cut down the only existing trees and they never grew back. Some Common Juniper can be found to be growing quite well in the harsh environment, though it’s thought to have been brought to the islands at some point before the modern day. 

Though there have been some attempts in recent years to grow more trees by limiting the grazing sheep and planting on more remote islands, the number of trees remains very low and at nearly zero in the countryside. Some people compare the landscape to that of the parts of Ireland or the Scottish Highlands, but others have said the islands can appear as barren as the moon. The lack of trees is a little jarring and a reminder of what we can take for granted, so let’s take a moment to acknowledge our innate appreciation for nature and our trees!