Not Many Trees
One of the first things visitors notice upon arriving in Iceland is the scarcity of trees. Before the Vikings came, Iceland had forests covering about 40% of its land.
The unique environmental conditions of Iceland, including the lava from active volcanoes, have contributed to the shallowness of the soil. The shallow soil depth in Iceland cannot support tree growth effectively, contributing to the current treeless landscape. Other European regions also have similar histories of resource depletion.
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