Rezensionen: Atlas over Danmark Ser. 2, bind 1: Opgivne og tilplantede landbrugsarealer i Jylland

Summary

This is a review of Volume 2, Part 1 of the Atlas of Denmark, published by the Royal Danish Geographical Society, assessing Kristian Marius Jensen's study on abandoned and afforested agricultural areas in Jutland. The research is based on systematic surveys of Danish topographical maps at 1:20,000 from three periods (around 1870, 1910, and 1950) supplemented by field inspections, and analyzes afforestation dynamics against the backdrop of structural changes in Danish agriculture. Key findings include: forest area in Jutland, having reached a minimum of about 4% around 1800, quintupled through coniferous afforestation of heathland; since the late 19th century, cropland afforestation increased steadily, accelerating after 1950, so that by 1965 national forest cover reached 11% while agricultural land decreased by about 7%. The study presents afforestation intensity on 1:200,000 grid maps (based on 1-km squares), identifying main afforestation zones along ice-marginal positions, with preference for steep slopes, drought-prone, and wind-erosion-prone areas, resulting in numerous small forest plots of 3 to 10 hectares.