Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape & Nature Photography => Topic started by: Rajan Parrikar on June 24, 2013, 04:41:34 am

Title: Hólar
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on June 24, 2013, 04:41:34 am
The ancient bishopric in north Iceland.

Hólar (http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2013/06/24/holar/)

(http://www.parrikar.org/images/LL/Holar-Iceland.jpg)

Title: Re: Hólar
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 24, 2013, 10:22:07 am
Lovely as usual, and very typical Icelandic --- except for one thing: It is rare to see such large trees in Iceland.

My understanding is that the island was pretty well forested when the first settlers arrived, but soon the forests were cleared and the wood used for building and for fuel. And since then, the hungry, free-roaming sheep tend to keep trees from growing more than a meter or two high. When I was there in 1974, there was a "National Forest" being started, fenced off to keep the sheep out. I have a snapshot of the fence, with a sheep lying comfortably inside.

Eric M.
Title: Re: Hólar
Post by: francois on June 24, 2013, 10:46:45 am
Quote from: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 24, 2013, 10:22:07 am
…
It is rare to see such large trees in Iceland.…

Very true, I don't seem to remember seeing significant tree coverage in Iceland. In these very windy regions, trees have a hard time to grow on their own. It reminds me some parts of Scotland…
Title: Re: Hólar
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on June 24, 2013, 02:02:19 pm
Quote from: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 24, 2013, 10:22:07 am
Lovely as usual, and very typical Icelandic --- except for one thing: It is rare to see such large trees in Iceland.

My understanding is that the island was pretty well forested when the first settlers arrived, but soon the forests were cleared and the wood used for building and for fuel. And since then, the hungry, free-roaming sheep tend to keep trees from growing more than a meter or two high. When I was there in 1974, there was a "National Forest" being started, fenced off to keep the sheep out. I have a snapshot of the fence, with a sheep lying comfortably inside.

Eric M.


Eric, yes, the land was said to be forested in the time of the first settlers.  There are clusters of 'forests' (*) in and around Akureyri and Egilsstaðir and some other areas, with serious efforts ongoing to add more forest cover.  Soil erosion through wind is a significant factor.

(*) There's the well-worn joke: What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest?  Answer: Stand up.

Title: Re: Hólar
Post by: Paulo Bizarro on June 25, 2013, 04:35:02 am
Lovely colours.