Trees from the Caspian forests

Since 2016, Villum Fonden has supported a research project led by the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen. The project fosters collaboration between Danish and Iranian forestry researchers to test the long-term adaptability of various tree species from both Iran and Denmark. Here in Denmark, two 15-hectare forest plantation sites—one in Jutland and the other on Zealand—form the core of this research initiative.

In 2020, carefully selected hardwood trees from the Caspian Forests in the Alborz mountain range of northern Iran, just south of the Caspian Sea, were planted on Campus LKR (see I & J on the map). Among these species are the Chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia), the Caucasian alder (Alnus subcordata), and the Persian maple (Acer velutinum). The Caspian Forests are believed to have existed for two million years. In contrast, Denmark and northern Europe have been shaped by multiple Ice Ages, with the most recent glacial retreat occurring only about 12,000 years ago. So the Caspian Forests have remained largely unaffected by these Ice Ages, which is thought to contribute to the greater adaptability of their tree species to climate change, as well as their potential resistance to emerging diseases and pests.