Denmark’s first national nature park shows early signs of change

One year after Denmark opened its first national nature park at Fussingø near Randers, early changes are already visible, reports DR.

Around 120 cattle and red deer now roam the roughly 800-hectare fenced area, their movement and grazing reshaping the landscape. A two-metre-high fence keeps them contained.

“An animal weighing 500–700 kilos leaves significant traces as it moves through the terrain,” said Uffe Strandby, a forest ranger with the Danish Nature Agency. He noted that grazing is widely recognised by researchers as a key factor in restoring natural processes.

The agency has also removed drainage systems and filled in ditches, allowing water to flow freely across the land for the first time in decades. This shift is creating varied habitats that support greater biodiversity for plants and insects.

Non-native conifers, primarily North American species, have been felled to open the forest canopy, improving conditions for native trees and increasing light penetration.

Dead trees are left to decompose on the forest floor, benefiting rare species. One such discovery is Stellas mosskorpion, a tiny arachnid dependent on decaying wood.

National nature parks are large, contiguous areas where natural processes are allowed to unfold with minimal human interference. Denmark plans to establish 21 such parks in the coming years.