Gunarsholt's windbreaks in Iceland

The farm in Gunarsholt is located 100 km East from Reykjavík, nearby Hella city and belongs to the governmental agency – Soil Conservation Service (SCS) which is world’s oldest agency with soil protection and reclamation mission (1907). The farm includes several minor households and covers 8000 ha in total. It was founded in the place where severe erosion and frequent sand storms forced local inhabitants to leave the area in the period 1885-1925. In 1944, Icelandic government purchased the land and undertook efforts to restore the land to the sustainable production. After many years of intensive work, the farm is presently simply submerged in greenness. Of particular interest is its windbreaks design. The belts are characterised by specific structure and include two external rows of lower height vegetation (Salix phylicifolia, Betula pubescens) and one internal row of balsam poplar (Populus tricocarpa).