Icelanders are restoring their ecosystems
Iceland, the environment
The barren surfaces and active soil erosion in Iceland often surprises
visitors. Erosion is among the most active forces that shape the surface of
the country. Severe land degradation has damaged much of Icelandic
ecosystems resulting in loss of woodlands and creating vast deserts.
Iceland is a 39,700-square miles island in the North Atlantic Ocean between
63� and 66� latitudes. The island is warmed by the Gulf-stream, and the
climate is therefore not as cold as the visitor might expect, and humid in
most areas. Rainfall varies between 500 and 2000 mm in lowland areas. The
ecosystems are affected by volcanic eruptions and volcanic ash deposits are
widespread. The island is mountainous with lowland areas along the
coastline and river plains. The population is about 280,000 people.
The soils that form in volcanic deposits are unique in character, so called
Andosols. They are fertile but very sensitive to disturbance. Such soils
once covered most of Iceland, with lush vegetation such as birch and willow
woodlands. The vegetation is also vulnerable because of cold and windy
climate, frequent freeze-thaw cycles and periodic volcanic eruptions.
The environmental change since man came to Iceland is staggering: desert
surfaces with limited vegetation now cover the largest part of the country.
It is hard for the foreign traveler to realize this tremendous change, and
for many Icelanders too.
Degradation
Iceland was settled 1125 years ago by Vikings, who brought in domestic
animals. A large portion of the Icelandic deserts was vegetated at the time
of settlement. The evidence for this include historical records, Sagas,
annals, old farm surveys, old topographical and place names, relict areas
and current vegetation remnants, pollen analyses, and soils buried under
desert sand.
After the settlement, rapid population growth led to intensive use of
fragile ecosystems. Ecosystem degradation included both altered vegetation
composition due to grazing, cutting and burning of woodlands, and reduced
vegetation cover ant the formation of barren lands - deserts.
Land use was not the only factor contributing to soil erosion in Iceland
after the settlement. The climate in Iceland became gradually cooler during
the 11th century. Moreover, a cooling trend since 2500 BP resulted in less
resistant vegetation which made the ecosystems more vulnerable to erosion
than before. Glaciers became larger because of the cooler climate and
developed vast out-wash planes that serve as sources for sand that feed
sand drift areas. Eruptions under glaciers also cause large scale floods
that build vast sand deposits at the glacial plains and along rivers.
The state of the ecosystems
The current state of the Icelandic ecosystems is poor. Much of the birch
and willow cover has disappeared, and only few and small native birch
stands remained around 1900. The current tree cover is little more than 1%
according to a recent survey, among the lowest in the world. The remaining
vegetation is often very degraded, dominated by species that avoid or
tolerate grazing by sheep.
It should, however, be noted, that large areas have remained vegetated,
areas which now are the backbone of Icelandic agriculture. Much of the
lowlands have retained the original soil cover and parts of the highlands,
especially in the West and Northwest, but also in other highland areas.
The erosion in Iceland is staggering. A recent survey of erosion problem
showed that over half of the land is suffering from considerable to severe
erosion.
Icelanders are restoring their ecosystems
Icelanders have long realized the poor status of their ecosystems.
Advancing sand that buried and destroyed valuable farm land in the South
resulted in the establishment of the a government agency in 1907 with the
purpose to halt soil erosion. This is the Icelandic Soil Conservation,
which is the oldest operating soil conservation agency in the world. At the
same time, foundations were made for the Icelandic Forest Service with the
first aim to save the last remaining forest stands.
The Icelandic government, farmers, non-governmental organizations (NGO's)
and the general public are fighting back the degradation of Icelandic
ecosystems. About 15% of all Icelandic farmers are participating in
organized reclamation work in cooperation with the Soil Conservation
Service. Special afforestation projects are funded to increase the
tree-cover of Iceland and to establish a tree industry in the future.
Moreover, the most valuable native tree-stands are protected under the care
of the Forest Service.
Iceland has a long tradition of volunteer work in reclamation and forestry
by NGO's and charity organizations. One of the first environmental
movements in Iceland is the Icelandic Forestry Association, which was
founded in 1930. It is currently an alliance of 57 district societies with
approximately 7000 members. Their main objectives are to promote
tree-planting and forestry and conserve soil and vegetation.
In the last decades, public awareness of the poor state of the Icelandic
ecosystems has grown. Land reclamation and afforestation are words that now
resound in the soul of the Icelander. The country is determined to find a
secure path to the road of sustainable land use and restoration of lost
ecological treasures.
The task ahead
The task ahead, to restore the value of the Icelandic ecosystems, is
immense. It can not be accomplished without a much larger effort than is
currently being made with much too limited resources at hand. Another
crucial cornerstone for increased success is to enhance, by research and
teaching, the understanding of how the ecosystems work and how they can be
restored in a more economical way. For the completion of the task we need
more resources, people, knowledge, and national agreement on sustainable
land use.
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