<p>I am trying to find out what forests were the largest in Western and Central Europe, around 600 BC. I understand that accounts dating that far back may be difficult to find, but I hope other sciences can tell us the extent of Classical forests in Europe.</p>

<p>I hope asking for two forests is not too much. If it is, I will change the question to the largest forest in modern-day France or Germany.</p>

<p>My best guess and research would lead me to believe the Black Forest was the largest in the period, and after that I'm not sure what the second largest would be. Today, the Landes Forest is the largest in France, but as far as I know that forest was planted in the 19th century.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-27T15:31:49.360Z
This may help: https://www.wsl.ch/staff/niklaus.zimmermann/papers/QuatSciRev_Kaplan_2009.pdf
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-27T15:50:08.550Z
The maps are intriguing, but if you look closely, you'll see how a lot of sharp transition lines follow existing national borders.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-28T16:11:50.543Z
At that time, was there even such a thing as "a" forest?  As opposed to a basically continuous forest-covered continent with occasional open patches?  As with North America: it is often said that before European colonization, a squirrel could travel from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River without touching the ground.
jamesqf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T08:24:32.307Z
I don't have exact values for you, but there are some references which might help:
Williams (2006) https://amzn.to/3aHMObj
Ellis (2011) https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsta.2010.0331
and Ellis et al (2013) https://www.pnas.org/content/110/20/7978
Will
<geography><earth-history><forest>
What were the Two Largest Forests of Western and Central Europe (circa 600 BC)
user20379
# What were the Two Largest Forests of Western and Central Europe (circa 600 BC)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-27)

I am trying to find out what forests were the largest in Western and Central Europe, around 600 BC. I understand that accounts dating that far back may be difficult to find, but I hope other sciences can tell us the extent of Classical forests in Europe.

I hope asking for two forests is not too much. If it is, I username_3 change the question to the largest forest in modern-day France or Germany.

My best guess and research would lead me to believe the Black Forest was the largest in the period, and after that I'm not sure what the second largest would be. Today, the Landes Forest is the largest in France, but as far as I know that forest was planted in the 19th century.

**Tags:** geography, earth-history, forest

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This may help: https://www.wsl.ch/staff/niklaus.zimmermann/papers/QuatSciRev_Kaplan_2009.pdf  
> **username_1**: The maps are intriguing, but if you look closely, you'll see how a lot of sharp transition lines follow existing national borders.  
> **username_2**: At that time, was there even such a thing as "a" forest?  As opposed to a basically continuous forest-covered continent with occasional open patches?  As with North America: it is often said that before European colonization, a squirrel could travel from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River without touching the ground.  
> **username_3**: I don't have exact values for you, but there are some references which might help: Williams (2006) https://amzn.to/3aHMObj Ellis (2011) https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsta.2010.0331 and Ellis et al (2013) https://www.pnas.org/content/110/20/7978  

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