Vejdirektoratet uses controlled explosions to create wildlife habitats

The Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) is using a method called ‘veteranization’ to create new habitats for wildlife in Bjergsted Skov, west of Jyderup. This initiative aims to mitigate the loss of nature caused by the construction of the final stage of the Kalundborg Motorway.

By using controlled explosions to blast the tops of selected healthy, young trees, officials are mimicking natural damage such as lightning strikes. This process creates cracks, crevices, and hollows that would normally take many years to develop in older, decaying trees. The goal is not to kill the trees immediately, but to accelerate their aging process and encourage natural decomposition.

Landscape manager Christian Bell noted that while it may seem paradoxical to damage healthy trees, these structural imperfections are essential for attracting species such as bats, birds, rare fungi, and insects that lack suitable habitats in Danish forests.