The growing of maize is relatively new in Denmark. Since the year 2000, the area of maize has more than tripled from 50.000 ha to 180.000 ha in 2018. But in 2018, the dry weather was too harsh for the Danish types of maize. The lack of water means that the harvest has been 25-30% smaller than normally. This cub from North Zealand has only been able to produce very few corns, when it should have been fully developed.
On the picture: Failed maize from Northern Zealand.
Source: SEGES (research department of Danish agriculture organization)
When the grass is yellow, the cows haven’t had enough to eat. This was the case all over Denmark in the summer 2018. It forced ecological farmers to slaughter their cows much earlier than previously. In a span of 5-6 weeks during the summer of 2018, Danish Crown (largest slaughterhouse and meat processing company of Denmark), registered almost a doubling in the number of slaughters, compared to the previous timeframe the year before. The high amount of early slaughters means an increase in prices the following years
On the picture: A slaughtered cow.
Source: Danish Crown
In nutrient rich lakes and fjords, it is normal to see a large growth of microscopic algae that turns the water green, brown or red in July-August. In 2018, this growth happened much earlier due to the warm and calm weather of June and July. The lack of wind in combination with the warm water, led to immobile waters and the algae started to rot. It led to oxygen depletion in many rivers and lakes, which is detrimental to the life in the water. Luckily the weather of August more normal and winds brought some oxygen to the waters.
On the picture: Algae-waters from Furesø
Source: Per Juel Hansen, professor of Marine Biologi at Copenhagen University
The water around Denmark is warmer. Now, the invasive Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea Gigas) can survive in Danish territory. It was spotted on the west coast for the first time in 1999. Since then, it has spread to the rest of the country, and during recent years, its even been possible to find it in Copenhagen. Some areas it can become a threat to the Blue Mussel (Mytilus Edulis) and thus some of the birds feeding from it. Luckily, humans can eat the new type of oyster.
On the picture: Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea Gigas)
Source: Øresundsakvariet (Aquarium belonging to the Deparment of Biology at University of Copenhagen)
The water levels are rising and floods are getting more common. It erodes the coasts at a much higher pace than before. The coasts of Denmark facing west are mostly affected, such Stængehus Strand at Liseleje in northern Zealand, where lumps of sand and sea lyme grass are falling off the dunes.
On the picture: A piece of coast from Stængehus Strand
Source: Kystdirektoratet (The Danish Coastal Authority)
Increase in temperature, along with new types of wine-plants has made it possible to produce wine in Denmark. Since the 1980’s, Danish wine farmers has experimented with wine production and the output has gone from the neglect able to approximately 1500 hectoliters red and white wine per year in commercial production. But its not certain what the future will hold for Danish wine, because even though warm summers like 2018 was great for the wine production, wet ones like 2017 was a catastrophe. Both are a possible outcome as a result of climate change.
On the picture: Wine from Dyrehøj Vineyard
Source: Foreningen Dansk Vin (association of Danish Wine
In a normal year, no more than five Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) wash up on Danish shores. In 2019 more than 30 were registered by April. The warm summer of 2018 lured more of them to Denmark, but when the temperature drops below 10 degrees celsius again, the Ocean Sunfish’s internal organs stop working, so they die and wash up on the shore.
On the picture: Ocean Sunfish washed up on Denmark’s shore.
Source: Øresundsakvariet (Aquarium belonging to the Deparment of Biology at University of Copenhagen)
