Norway’s forests have developed over thousands of years, shaped by natural dynamics, climate changes, species migration, and recurring disturbances. These processes have created a remarkable diversity of habitats and ecological niches, forming the foundation for Norway’s rich forest biodiversity. Alongside these natural influences, human activity has left a profound mark. From the 1500s onward, timber became an important export commodity, and centuries of selective logging gradually reduced forest volume, tree sizes, and stand ages. By the late 1800s, intensive harvesting for timber and the emerging pulp and paper industry had significantly altered the landscape.

Today’s natural forests are the legacy of this long history. Using a strict definition based on old stand age, structural complexity, and absence of visible human impacts, only about 2% of the forested land qualifies as natural forest.

In 2024, a broad coalition of researchers urged the government to map and register the country’s remaining natural forests, warning that ongoing losses combined with insufficient documentation could lead to irreversible biodiversity decline. In response, this project was established with two main goals:

• Create a national map of forest areas that have not been clear-cut since 1940.
• Assess the degree of naturalness across all Norwegian forests.

By delivering this knowledge, the project will provide a solid foundation for safeguarding Norway’s last natural forests and supporting sustainable forest management for the future.

Photo: Old spruce forest in Trysil (Ministry of Agriculture and Food)