Not only the Royal Navy! Before they started planting trees for future shipbuilding, the French also stripped their countryside of trees (https://en.wikipedia.o

Not only the Royal Navy! Before they started planting trees for future shipbuilding, the French also stripped their countryside of trees (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Ventoux#Flora_and_fauna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Ventoux#Flora_and_fauna). And Iceland also used to be forested before the Vikings came along (https://www.geographyrealm.com/icelands-long-road-to-reforestation/ https://www.geographyrealm.com/icelands-long-road-to-refores...)