Danish Forests

Natural forests once covered almost all of Denmark's land. After centuries of development, forests now make up 12.4% of the Denmark's land. And while 85% is protected land that cannot be converted into anything other than forest, almost all of the nation's existing forestry has been replanted at some point or another. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Danish government has put programs in place that protect and conserve forests. In 2004, the Danish Forest Act was put in place, which set new guidelines on how to manage, conserve, and protect forests, and created provisions to increase forest cover. Due to the Five Finger Plan in Copenhagen, forests close to the city center were conserved and replanted, in order to give residents access to nature. So, an important question arises: why exactly does the Danish government care so much about forestry? They could have easily given the land over to developers, which would have in turn improved the economy.

The Danish government has created and conserved forests on valuable land close to Copenhagen for several reasons. One of the most important reasons is biodiversity. An increase in forest cover results in an increase in biodiversity, allowing for plants to grow below the tree cover, resulting in more diversity. With more forest cover comes more organisms. While walking in the forest today, I saw several slugs, snails, and numerous birds (including a cuckoo bird). Having more forest near the city also results in a decrease in greenhouse gases, since the forest acts as CO2 sink. Also, forests can be used for timber, an important resource for such a small nation. After trees are cut, they must be replanted, which also increases biodiversity.