CNN —No trees have grown on the windswept Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean for tens of thousands of years — just shrubs and other low-lying vegetation. “It’s very sort of windswept and barren.”The Falkland Islands are a British-ruled overseas territory over which Great Britain and Argentina fought a brief war in 1982. But the story of this hidden forest goes back even further in time than the researchers initially thought. “The Falkland Islands are currently covered by grasslands and lack native trees,” Donovan added. However, the islands are unlikely to see a return to a forest landscape anytime soon, Thomas said.

---

Persons: Zoë Thomas, “, ”, Thomas, Michael Donovan, wasn’t, ” Donovan, Haidee, Chris Turney, what’s, Donovan Organizations: CNN, UK’s University of Southampton, Britain, Falklands, Antarctic, University of Southampton, Chicago’s, Australia’s University of New, Southern Locations: Falkland Islands, Stanley, Falkland, British, Great Britain, Argentina, Australia’s University of New South Wales, Patagonia, Antarctica, Westerly, Islas, South America