Skógræktarritið - 15.12.1991, Page 24

SUMMARY
Nature's own transport technique
solved a resource problem
When the first vikings settled in Iceland during theyears 870-930 A.D., Vi of thecountry's
area was covered with „forests". These forests consisted of short-growing trees, mainly
crooked birch (Betula pubescens). The „forests" may have given shelter and fuelwood,
but could hardly be used for construction and building purposes.
According to sources originating from early settlers, the forest covered the area from
the coast right up to the foothills of the mountains (PÁLSSON og EDWARDS 1972). During
the last 1000 years and especially after 1700, farming and grazing have destroyed most
of the forests. The sheepgrazing was especially hard on nature. Sheep graze all vegeta-
tion and windstorms and rain torrents rapidly erode the fine volcanic soils, causing deep
wounds in the terrain. A conflict has been going on between the foresters and the sheep
farmers. When grazing stops the countryside turns green again. On protected areas
where the local climate allows it, the foresters have planted some spruce, pine and larch
forests with positive results. According to a recent inventory only 1 per cent of Iceland's
land area is covered with forests today, mainly shrubby birch forests.
In spite of Iceland being a poorly wooded country, the shores and coastlines along the
northern and western part are covered with large logs (figure 2 and 7). The climatic con-
ditions do not allow the growth of large trees, at least not after the end of the last glacier
period more than 10.000 years ago. KRISTIÁNSSON (1980) reported that Iarge Iogs also
have been found grown over in deep boggy soils. Stein lohansen at the 'Jniversity in
Trondheim told that some logs found on |an Mayen, must have been there for more than
4.000 years. This interesting fact has been known a long time. OLAVIUS (1780).
The book of settlements (Landnámabók) was written approximately two hundred
years after the end of the settlement period and reported where the viking settlers came
from and where they settled down. (PÁLSSON and EDWARDS 1972 and MAGER0Y
1965). The driftwood and stray logs may have been an important resource for the settlers
when they built their first homes.
Driftwood and stray logs on other coasts.
The largest portion of the stray logs are pine (Pinus sp.) and larch (Larix sp.). There is
also a small portion of other tree species such as birch, poplar, spruce and fir. The large
amount of larch and the fact that one also has found fir (Abies sibirica) shows that the
driftwood in lceland may originate from the eastern part of Siberia and not from the
northern part of Canada and Alaska.
Enormous amounts of timber have been floated northbound along the larger Siberian
rivers. The breaking up of the ice during springtime may have destroyed floating booms
and the flood-water may have lead astray the driftwood. In open sea the storm and heavy
N. sea may have carried the driftwood and deposited large quantities on the guifs and
beaches. In the gulfs and the bays outside these rivers (such as outside Arkangelsk or in
the gulf of Yenisei) there are millions of cubic meters of timber lost because of sinkage.
On the shores large piles of stray Iogs have been stored. Today efforts are being made
to take care of these valuable sources (ALEXEYENKO and TITOVA 1988).
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SKÓGRÆKTARRITIÐ 1991