beyondhue
Forest renewal
The countryside of Northern Portugal is hilly and a lot of it covered in eucalyptus trees. We saw many sections completely blackened after fires consumed it in previous years. But the renewal is well under way.
Popular for ornamental and medicinal reasons, eucalypts were introduced to Europe in the late 18th century by British and French botanists. By the 19th century there was almost no native woodland left in Portugal. The thinking also went that the trees would help to drain swamplands and reduce the incidence of malaria.
Almost a century later, Scandinavian timber companies began buying up vast parcels of Portuguese land to grow Eucalyptus globulus, or blue gums, to pulp for paper. The vast plantations crippled village economies, many of which still relied on communal farming.
Now the exotic blue gum is the most abundant tree in Portugal, covering about 7% of the land.
Forest renewal
The countryside of Northern Portugal is hilly and a lot of it covered in eucalyptus trees. We saw many sections completely blackened after fires consumed it in previous years. But the renewal is well under way.
Popular for ornamental and medicinal reasons, eucalypts were introduced to Europe in the late 18th century by British and French botanists. By the 19th century there was almost no native woodland left in Portugal. The thinking also went that the trees would help to drain swamplands and reduce the incidence of malaria.
Almost a century later, Scandinavian timber companies began buying up vast parcels of Portuguese land to grow Eucalyptus globulus, or blue gums, to pulp for paper. The vast plantations crippled village economies, many of which still relied on communal farming.
Now the exotic blue gum is the most abundant tree in Portugal, covering about 7% of the land.