Skógræktarritið - 15.05.2001, Page 91

TRÓNDUR LEIVSSON
A short note on tree planting
activity in the Faroe Islands
SAMANTEKT
Áhugi á trjárækt í Færeyjum hófst seint á 19. öld en fyrstu skógarreitir
voru ekki gróðursettir fyrr en um og eftir fyrri heimsstyrjöld. Meðal vel
heppnaðra tegunda eru sitkagreni, silfurreynir, garðahlynur og stafa-
fura, sem nær 7 mVha/ári viðarvexti. Flestir gömlu reitirnir eyðilögðust
í fárviðri í desember 1988.
Skógrokt landsins er ríkisstofnun sem sér um skógræktarmál í Fær-
eyjum. Fjárveitingar til hennar voru 2,4 milljónir danskra króna árið
2000 og þar vinna 6 fastráðnir starfsmenn. Meðal verkefna stofnunar-
innar eru stjórnun og ráðgjöf, gróðrarstöðvarekstur, trjásöfn og umsjón
með skóglendum, þ.á m. útivistarsvæðum.
Gróðrarstöð var stofnuð 1909 og nú eru í framleiðslu um 120 trjáa- og
runnategundir og yrki. Innlendar runnategundir eru sömu 4 víðiteg-
undir og vaxa á íslandi auk einis og rósar. Við landnám óx þó kjarr-
skógur af ilmbjörk og jafnvel hesliviði á öllu láglendi Færeyja, en þær
tegundir eru nú útdauðar. Skógrokt landsins hefur safnað eintökum af
innlendum runnum þar sem leifar þeirra finnast og fjölgað þeim, m.a.
til að bjóða fólki upp á ræktun þeirra í görðum.
Skógræktarreitir eru afar vinsælir til útivistarog m.a. nýttirtil
sveppatínslu. Þá hefur einn þóndi hafið jólatrjárækt og annar hafið
landgræðslu með lúpínu.
Background information:
The Faroe Islands are situated
between Scotland and lceland on
62° N and 7° W. They consist of
18 islands with at total area of
1.400 km2. The highest peak is
882 m a.s.l and the average ele-
vation is = 300 m a.s.l. The
islands are of volcanic origin,
and are made up from some sixty
million years old basalt. The
soils are generally shallow and
rather poor in nutrient status.
The lowland, i.e. up to about 200
- 300 m a.s.l., ís frequently cov-
ered with peat of varying depth.
In Tórshavn, the capital, the
mean temperature in August is
11,1 °C and in February 3,7 °C.
The average precipitation is
1.450 mm in Tórshavn, but it
varies in the range from 850 mm
near to 3.000 mm within the
islands. Summarized, the climate
is windy, rainy and unstable. The
main income for this community
of about 45.000 inhabitants is
fishing and fish industry.
The interest in tree planting in
the Faroes began towards the
end of the nineteenth century,
but successful plantations, main-
ly with conifers, were not estab-
lished until the time of l^ WW
and onwards into the twenties
and thirties. Some of the most
successful tree species were
Pinus contorta, Picea sitchensis,
Sorbus intermedia and Acerpseudo-
platanus. A severe gale in
December 1988 destroyed most
of the old plantations.
Skógrokt landsins (the Forestry
Service):
The tree planting activity and tri-
als financed by the Faroese gov-
ernment are organised within the
governmental institution Skóg-
rokt landsins. Our legislation
dates backto 1952.
The total financial framework for
this activity in 2000 is as follows:
Governmental
funding Business dependant DKK 2.000.000
income DKK 400.000
Skógrokt landsins, total budget DKK 2.400.000
Additional funding from
local communities DKK 460.000
The permanent workforce at
Skógrokt landsins is 6 persons,
plus some external labour. The
local communities provide anoth-
er 3 person workforce per annum
in our areas. Our workforce is well
skilled, both in the nursery and in
the woodland squad.
Tasks at the Skógrokt landsins
include:
- Administration, advice, and
various governmental duties.
- Nursery (only trees and shrubs).
- Arboretum unit and dendrolog-
ical trials.
SKÓGRÆKTARRITIÐ 2001 l.tbl.
89