On: Everything will be alright in Iceland

[conradev]

Which some are also trying to grow back:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/20/climate/icela...

A lot of the roughness in the terrain is because there are lots of old lava fields

[dreamcompiler → conradev]

...but not old enough to have weathered down. Iceland is made of lava, as is Hawaii, but the Hawaiian islands are much older* which is why they are now a garden paradise.

*Except the big island which is young enough to still have active volcanoes like Iceland.

[triyambakam → dreamcompiler]

What is it about being made of lava that makes Hawaii now a garden paradise?

[SideburnsOfDoom → triyambakam]

"Volcanic soil" is good for growing plants, it's full of useful minerals

https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/why-is-volcanic-soil-so-fe...

[MrDresden → SideburnsOfDoom]

Volanic soil can be poor in nitrogen and if there are no native nitrogen fixers, and or top soil erosion, then it will be hard for anything to grow.

That is why the alaskan lupin was introduced to Iceland, as it can grow in nitrogen poor volcanic soil to halt the erosion and do nitrogen fixation.