Rebecca Manzi Norwegian forests have reached 31.8 billion cubic feet and are growing faster than expected: here's how it was possible
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Norwegian forests have experienced extraordinary growth in recent decades, tripling in volume compared to pre-World War II levels. Today, the total volume of forests in Norway has reached 31.8 billion cubic feet (900 million cubic meters), a significant increase from the 300 million cubic meters (10.6 billion cubic feet) recorded in 1925.
The exponential growth of Norway’s forests is largely attributed to reforestation campaigns in the 1960s, during which nearly 100 million Norway spruce trees were planted annually, often with the help of school students. These trees, now mature, are significantly contributing to the increase in biomass.
However, this does not fully explain the rise in forest growth. Experts at the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute have noted that trees, including spruces, pines, and birches, are growing faster than standard models had predicted.
How this growth happened
The causes of this phenomenon could be many, including rising average temperatures, longer growing seasons, higher levels of carbon dioxide, and increased nitrogen deposits in the air. Reduced grazing by wild and domestic animals may have further contributed to this development.
Despite concerns expressed in past decades about possible forest death due to intensive logging and acid rain, Norwegian forests have managed to thrive. Paradoxically, the modern forestry industry has not been able to fully capitalize on this growth, harvesting only a portion of the available biomass.
With many forests planted in the 1950s and 1960s now reaching maturity, this growth trend is expected to continue for several decades. The phenomenon of forest expansion is not limited to Norway but is also observed in other European regions, such as Germany, where trees are growing at a significantly faster rate than in the past due to more favorable climate conditions and environmental changes.
