# What Prevents Trees From Growing in the Falkland Islands?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 26, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017 "2012-02-26T00:33:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017/21 "2012-02-26T22:53:48Z")

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> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> Well it gets pretty windy around here on Vancouver Island, a rainforest, and we get trees growing on rocky slopes and rocky islands with minimal soil cover.
> 
> The sheep may have something to do with it. The eat everything including tree shoots right down to the roots.

But compared to Vancouver, the Falklands are very tiny islands. They don’t really have land to waste on trees – they need every bit as grazing space for the sheep.

So economically, trees are too expensive on the Falkland islands.

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017/22 "2012-02-28T17:56:32Z")

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Thanks-I would imagine that the first settlers tried to plant trees-then got discouraged. Still, with some work, yo could probably farm trees there. I imagine that with all the open land, there would be spots that trees could live on.

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017/23 "2012-02-28T18:24:53Z")

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> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> Thanks-I would imagine that the first settlers tried to plant trees-then got discouraged.

Not sure about that, the first settlers would have had more pressing concerns. Planting trees is a bit of a long-term investment.

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**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017/24 "2012-02-28T19:14:16Z")

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Were the original settlers English? If so, one would think that they’d have planted banger trees and mash bushes post-haste as such had provided much of their sustenance back in Englishia.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017/25 "2012-02-28T19:16:00Z")

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> [@cornflakes](#):
>
> Viking sabotage beavers

Band Name!

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**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-prevents-trees-from-growing-in-the-falkland-islands/614017/26 "2012-02-28T19:52:29Z")

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> [@johnpost](#):
>
> trained Argentine sabotage beavers.

Damn it, who told you?

(speaks into lapel microphone)we have been found out!, suspend operation Falk Beaver inmediately!

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