Land and Forest Iceland
Slow summer arrival on Tunguheidi
13th June 2024
This year, summer is only gradually arriving in Tunguheiði, a heath located in the upper region of Bláskógabyggð. Similar to the rest of Iceland, particularly in the uplands and highlands, the plants are first now slowly beginning to flourish. Although the land reclamation efforts initiated in Tunguheiði in 1997 are mostly complete, designated areas within the region will receive fertiliser application early this summer.
Tunguheiði is an expansive heathland located to the east of the Hvítá river, just north of famous waterfall Gullfoss, stretching towards the towering Mount Bláfell. In 1975, it was reported by Einar Helgason, farmer in Holtakot in Biskupstungur, that Tunguheiði, belonging to the church in Bræðratunga, had previously been a continuous grassland which had more or less eroded away by then. Fortunately, the diligent land reclamation efforts have successfully reversed this trend, and the area is gradually regaining its verdant vegetation cover.
Tunguheiði is a heathland east of river Hvítá above the famous Gullfoss waterfall in South Iceland, reaching towards the Mount Bláfell. In 1975 it was reported by Einar Helgason, farmer in Holtakot in Biskupstungur, that Tunguheiði, belonging to the church in Bræðratunga, had previously been a continuous grassland which had more or less eroded away by then. The land reclamation work has now reversed the trend and the area is regaining its vegetation cover.
The designated area was fenced off in 1997 in conjunction with the government's carbon sequestration initiative at that time. The land reclamation process has been ongoing since then, in part through collaboration with the Land Reclamation Association of Biskupstungur. The agreement for land improvement measures in the area concludes this year, however, according to Garðar Þorfinnsson, regional consultant for Land and Forest Iceland, fertiliser will be applied in designated locations within Tunguheiði this summer. Upon contract termination, the infrequent occurrence of land reversion to its rightful owners takes place, signifying a gratifying outcome and a testament to the venture's success.
The attached photographs were taken from roughly the same location, with Mount Jarlhettur and Glacier Langjökull serving as the backdrop. The most recent image, captured on June 11th, vividly illustrates the impact of an unusually cold spring on the vegetation. This becomes even more apparent when contrasted with the subsequent image, taken on June 14th, 2022. While the vegetation exhibited robust growth two years ago, it currently displays only nascent signs of gradual new growth.
The final image below illustrates the transformation of the previous grasslands on Tunguheidi into a desolate landscape prior to the commencement of restoration efforts. The images were captured by Garðar Þorfinnsson.
