Bergen: a glimpse of European forest history
Bergen is a west Norwegian port, squeezed between mountains in the east and the North Sea in the west. Trade, shipping and more recently the oil industry have characterised the business. So, what can the Bergen area ever tell us about the European forest history?
This issue was highlighted during an urban field trip of the 20th Steering Committee of EUFORGEN, held 9-11 April. Bergen is at the same latitude as the southern peak of Greenland. The Gulfstream is the simple reason why forests can grow here at all. Despite being a landscape dominated by mountains and fjords, forests are widespread in the lowlands and were previously critical for house and boat building, construction of various tools, as firewood and source of charcoal. The forests were simply decisive for self-support.
The first indication of deforestation dates to the Bronze Age. Population growth, increased agricultural cultivation, grazing by cattle and later salt boiling slowly reduced the forests cover. It was probably the export of timber to UK (particularly Scotland) and continental Europe from the 16th century, however, that depleted the forest resources. At about 1750 the Scots pine forests were in such a poor state that many sawmills had to close, and peat replaced firewood as fuel many places.
The authorities realised that something had to be done. The shift came in the mid-19th century when forests were given some legal protection, nurseries were established, and planting initiated. As early as 1857 Scots pine (Pinus sylvatica), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and oak (Quercus ssp.) plants were also shipped from Hamburg to Bergen. The importance of origin of seeds and plants was a big issue when forest research was established in Bergen in 1916. The region is generally species poor, and beyond the native Scots pine, mountain pine (Pinus mugo) was successfully introduced from continental Europe and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) from north-west America, along with many other tree species. The natural distribution of Norway spruce in western Norway is scattered, so most of the seeds in the early days of modern forestry came from Germany.
Pictures of Bergen from 150-100 years back shows a treeless landscape with agriculture at the doorstep of the city, but the many reforestation initiatives slowly dressed the landscape. The National Forest Inventory was established in the 1919, allowing the forests to be monitored. Conclusion, the forest resources tripled nationally during a century.
The fall and rise of the forests in this region mirror the general forest history of Europe, with the difference that the decline was delayed in Norway and took place partly because of the diminishing forests in continental Europe and Scotland. It also exemplifies the well-known trade with forest reproductive material and the fact that distant seed sources may both perform perfectly well and poorly in a new environment. It simply has to be tested.
The road from Bergen city to Fløyen mountain between 1895 and 1900. No forest, but scattered regeneration. Photo: Knud Knudsen. Owner: University Library of Bergen. [Fløysvingene] - Marcus (uib.no)
The same area as the picture above from another angle, 1962. Forests are widespread. Photo: Widerøe’s Flyselskap A/S. Owner: University Library of Bergen. [Fjellsiden] - Marcus (uib.no)
The barren mountain seen from the city centre in 1879. Photo: Knud Knudsen. Owner: University Library of Bergen. 1879. [Østre Murallmenningen] - Marcus (uib.no)
School children were an important workforce in forest tree planting, picture from 1926. Photo: unknown. Owner: University Library of Bergen. Skogplanting. Dragegfjellets skole, Bergen 14 - Marcus (uib.no)
Article originally written by Tor Myking
