1336: "Iceland Has No Trees"

HistoryPodcastScience
Written By JC

Interesting Things with JC #1336: "Iceland Has No Trees" - You’ve heard it before: “There are no trees in Iceland.” But is that true? This episode takes a quick dive into the history behind the claim and what really happened.

Curriculum - Episode Anchor

Episode Title: Iceland Has No Trees

Episode Number: 1336

Host: JC

Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners

Subject Area: Environmental Science, Geography, History

Lesson Overview

Students will:

  • Define the ecological concept of deforestation and reforestation using Iceland as a case study.

  • Compare historical and modern land use in Iceland, especially relating to forest coverage.

  • Analyze the environmental impacts of human activity on ecosystems over centuries.

  • Explain how climate, agriculture, and culture intersect in shaping a nation's landscape.

Key Vocabulary

  • Deforestation (dee-for-es-TAY-shun) — The removal of large forest areas, often resulting in environmental degradation. Iceland underwent significant deforestation after Norse settlement.

  • Reforestation (ree-for-es-TAY-shun) — The process of replanting trees in areas where forests once existed. Iceland is currently engaged in this effort.

  • Erosion (ih-ROH-zhun) — The wearing away of soil by wind, water, or human activity. Overgrazing and tree loss led to serious erosion in Iceland.

  • Ecological Overshoot (ee-koh-LOJ-i-kul OH-ver-shoot) — When a population's demand on nature exceeds the environment's capacity to regenerate. Iceland’s early settlers exceeded the island’s ecological limits.

  • Birch (burch) — A slow-growing, native Icelandic tree used by settlers for building and fuel. Birch woods once covered a third of Iceland.

Narrative Core

  • Open: A historical traveler in 1336 marvels at Iceland’s treeless landscape.

  • Info: Norse settlers in 874 AD found forests that provided essential resources.

  • Details: Over centuries, clearing turned to stripping, worsened by erosion and livestock.

  • Reflection: Today’s low forest cover illustrates the long-term effects of ecological mismanagement.

  • Closing: These are interesting things, with JC.

Icelandic landscape

Transcript

In 1336, a traveler arriving in Iceland might have looked across the hills and said, "Where are the trees?"

He wouldn’t have been wrong to ask. By that time, Iceland was largely deforested. But it hadn’t always been that way.

When Norse settlers first arrived around the year 874 AD, they found forests covering nearly a third of the island. These were not towering redwoods, but birch woods—scrubby, slow-growing, and vital. Wood meant fire, shelter, and tools. So, they cut it.

Over the next few centuries, that clearing turned into stripping. The harsh climate slowed regrowth, erosion increased, and livestock—especially sheep—grazed down anything that tried to come back. By 1336, what remained was a treeless, wind-blown island, mostly moss and lava fields.

The soil thinned. Farming struggled. Timber had to be imported. It was an early case of ecological overshoot—centuries before that term existed.

Today, Iceland is working to bring trees back. Reforestation programs have planted millions. But still, less than 2% of the island has forest cover.

So when people say Iceland has no trees, it's not quite true—but it’s close.

And for a land that was once green with birch, it’s a reminder that nature isn’t fixed. It can vanish—quietly, slowly—and take generations to return.

These are interesting things, with JC.

Student Worksheet

  1. What percentage of Iceland was covered in forests before Norse settlers arrived?

  2. Why did the forests in Iceland not grow back quickly after they were cut?

  3. Define "ecological overshoot" using Iceland’s history as an example.

  4. What role did sheep play in the deforestation of Iceland?

  5. Why is Iceland’s reforestation effort challenging even today?

Teacher Guide

Estimated Time: 1 class period (45–60 minutes)

Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy:

  • Preview vocabulary using concept-matching and sentence completion.

  • Discuss examples of local deforestation or reforestation projects.

Anticipated Misconceptions:

  • Students may believe Iceland was always barren.

  • Confusion between deforestation (cutting trees) and erosion (loss of soil).

Discussion Prompts:

  • What lessons can modern societies learn from Iceland’s environmental history?

  • How do human needs sometimes conflict with environmental preservation?

Differentiation Strategies:

  • ESL: Use visual aids of Icelandic landscapes before/after deforestation.

  • IEP: Provide sentence starters for reflection questions.

  • Gifted: Research another country with a similar deforestation history and compare.

Extension Activities:

  • Create a timeline showing Iceland’s forest coverage from 874 AD to today.

  • Debate whether modern development or conservation should be prioritized in Iceland.

Cross-Curricular Connections:

  • Geography: Mapping climate zones and land cover change.

  • History: Norse settlement and early medieval Europe.

  • Science: Ecosystem restoration and sustainability models.

Quiz

  1. What year did Norse settlers arrive in Iceland?

    • A. 1066

    • B. 874 AD

    • C. 1336

    • D. 1450

    • Answer: B

  2. What type of trees were native to Iceland?

    • A. Pine

    • B. Oak

    • C. Birch

    • D. Redwood

    • Answer: C

  3. What animal contributed heavily to Iceland’s deforestation?

    • A. Goats

    • B. Horses

    • C. Sheep

    • D. Cattle

    • Answer: C

  4. What does “ecological overshoot” mean?

    • A. Planting more trees than necessary

    • B. Using natural resources faster than they can regenerate

    • C. Creating too many nature reserves

    • D. Overestimating climate data

    • Answer: B

  5. What percentage of Iceland is currently forested?

    • A. 10%

    • B. 5%

    • C. Less than 2%

    • D. Over 50%

    • Answer: C

Assessment

  1. Explain how human settlement affected Iceland’s environment from 874 AD to 1336.

  2. Why is reforestation in Iceland a long-term challenge?

3–2–1 Rubric:

  • 3 = Accurate, complete, thoughtful

  • 2 = Partial or missing detail

  • 1 = Inaccurate or vague

Standards Alignment

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 — Determine a central idea and analyze its development over time.

  • NGSS ESS3.C — Human impacts on Earth systems: Examine how human activities have altered the biosphere.

  • C3.D2.Geo.5.9-12 — Analyze interactions between physical and human systems.

  • ISTE 7b — Use collaborative technologies to explore local and global issues and investigate solutions.

  • UK GCSE Geography (AQA 3.1.3.5) — Ecosystems and tropical rainforests: human impact on ecosystems.

  • IB DP ESS 2.2 — Evaluate ecosystem change caused by human activity.

Show Notes

This episode of Interesting Things with JC explores Iceland's dramatic transformation from a forested island to one that is largely treeless. When Norse settlers arrived around 874 AD, between 25–40% of the island was covered in birch forests. Just a century later, nearly all of it—97%—was gone due to cutting for timber and overgrazing by livestock. These changes triggered soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and severe agricultural limitations. Today, Iceland is engaged in ambitious reforestation efforts, aiming to increase forest cover to 12% by 2100, though less than 2% of the country is currently forested. This story offers a compelling case study on how ecological mismanagement can reshape entire landscapes and highlights the slow, generational nature of restoration.

References


JC https://jimconnors.org
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