Book reviews: Atlas of Denmark, series 2, volume 1: Abandoned and afforested agricultural areas in Jutland

Summary

W. Stams reviews Kr. Marius Jensen’s atlas volume on abandoned and afforested agricultural land in Jutland. The work compares 1:20,000 topographic maps from around 1870, 1910 and 1950, supplemented by field visits, and presents afforestation changes on five 1:200,000 map supplements. Denmark’s forest cover rose from approximately 4% around 1800 to 11% in 1965. In Jutland, heathland afforestation increased forest area fivefold; afforestation of arable land expanded from the late nineteenth century, especially after 1950. Principal afforestation areas follow the Weichselian ice margin, concentrating on steep slopes and land susceptible to drying and wind erosion, frequently forming small woodland patches of 3–5 hectares.