Overview of the most important species in each country
Choice of species for forest production varies across the Nordic region based on which tree species are naturally occurring and which thrive and produce under different climatic conditions. This, and the fact that available statistics vary among the countries, makes comparisons challenging across countries. Therefore, not all statistics are presented for all countries and species.
Seedlings in Sweden, Finland, and Norway
To give an overview of the most important species in production in the different Nordic countries, the amount of seedlings delivered to the forestry in 2023 is shown below. In Finland, Norway and Sweden, the two conifers Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) amount to most of the production. Sweden has the highest total amount of seedlings, at more than 430 million seedlings.
Finland
174.960.000 seedlings in total
Figure 1.
Figure 1-3 shows rounded percentage of seedlings delivered to Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian forestry in different species categories in 2023.
The total amount is rounded to thousand seedlings.
Norway
49.928.000 seedlings in total
Figure 2.
The figure shows rounded percentage of seedlings. The number of seedlings varies from 29 thousand to 1 thousand for the species Abies lasiocarpa, Betula pendula, Alnus glutinosa, Picea x lutzii, Abies nordmanniana, Larix sibirica and "Other".
Sweden
430.900.000 seedlings in total
Figure 3.
The figure shows rounded percentage of seedlings. For the species Picea sitchensis the number is 500 thousand plants and for the category "Other" the number is 2100 thousand plants.
Seedlings in Iceland
The main species for afforestation in Iceland is downy birch (Betula pubescens) which is the only native forest tree species in Iceland.
Silver birch (Betula pendula) may be an alternative in lowland areas with increasing temperatures. Seeds are collected in the wild or from planted trees. Other important species in Iceland include Larix sibirica, Larix decidua and the hybrid Larix sibirica x Larix decidua, Populus trichocarpa, Pinus contorta, Picea sitchensis, Picea glauca and Abies lasiocarpa (Christmas trees).
Iceland
6.697.000 seedlings in total
Figure 4.
Percentage of seedlings delivered to Icelandic forestry in different species categories in 2023.
Afforestation in Iceland
The first official National Forest Plan for Iceland was published in August 2022 by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. The policy applies until 2031 and is accompanied by a detailed action plan from 2022-2026. To meet the government’s goal regarding carbon neutrality, Iceland needs to increase actions related to carbon sequestration, including afforestation and the restoration of natural forests. However, afforestation efforts have not reached the ambitious levels initially hoped for. The government's plan outlines a scaling plan, beginning with 3,000 hectares of new forest plantings in 2025 and increasing to 4,350 ha (2026), 5,700 ha (2027), 7,050 ha (2028), before reaching the target capacity of 8,500 hectares per year in 2029-2030. This includes both public and private afforestation efforts.
Proportion of the total forest area in Denmark
Seedling statistics are not available for Denmark. As an overview of the most important species for Denmark, the proportions of the total forest area covered by each of the species is shown in the pie chart below.
It is important to note that the conifers are planted and introduced species, whereas for instance beech (Fagus sylvatica) and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) often are regenerated naturally. Furthermore, the yearly use of seedlings is higher for short-rotation Christmas trees (e.g. Abies species) than for typical long-rotation species such as oak (Quercus spp).
Denmark
651.757 hectares in total
Figure 5.
Proportion in percentage of the total forest area covered by the most common species in Denmark.
Source: Thomas Nord-Larsen, Torben Riis-Nielsen, Iben Margrete Thomsen, Niclas Scott Bentsen, Bruno Bilde Jørgensen, Annemarie Bastrup-Birk og Vivian Kvist Johannsen (2024): Skovstatistik 2023, Institut for Geovidenskab og Naturforvaltning, Københavns Universitet, Frederiksberg. 77 s. ill. (Based on numbers in table 1.4)
The Afforestation Tripartite Agreement is an agreement aimed at converting 250,000 hectares of agricultural land into new forest in Denmark by 2045. The agreement has been made between the government and a number of organizations and is part of the "Agreement for a Green Denmark."
Key points of the agreement:
- Goal: To plant 250,000 hectares of new forest, equivalent to the combined size of Lolland-Falster and Bornholm.
- Funding: Approximately 22 billion DKK has been allocated for afforestation.
- Subsidies: A subsidy of 75,500 DKK per hectare is provided, with an additional 15,000 DKK per hectare if the forest is established as untouched forest.
- Targeted efforts: Special focus on areas needing nitrogen reduction or offering other synergies, such as considerations for nature and biodiversity, as well as protection of drinking water.
- Local tripartite groups: The agreement will be implemented through 23 local tripartite groups involving municipalities, agriculture, and nature organizations.
- Amendment of the Forest Act: The Forest Act will be amended to support the green initiatives.