Sand dune - Country Report, Iceland

This article on the sand dunes in Iceland, derives from the 'Sand Dune Inventory of Europe' (Doody 1991) . The 1991 inventory was prepared under the umbrella of the European Union for Dune Conservation [EUDC]. The original inventory was presented to the European Coastal Conservation Conference, held in the Netherlands in November 1991. It attempted to provide an overview of the sand dune resource throughout the whole of Europe including Scandinavia, the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean.

This account is based largely on the original inventory with only minor modifications to the text.

ICELAND

Author: - Sigurdur Greipsson, original text with minor revisions 2007, new map, J Patrick Doody, 2007

INTRODUCTION

Sand dunes in Iceland occur inland and on the coast. The inland dunes cover up to 200,000ha. Inland dunes only occur across the middle of the country from south to north in the volcanic zone. Coastal dunes cover approximately 120,000ha occurring mainly on the south coast (Figure). East and west fjords are characterised by cliffs and small sand reefs.

Figure: Distribution of the main coastal sand dune areas of Iceland (light yellow). The main glaciers provide melt-water and deliver sediment to the sea (light grey). The annual amount of sediment in tons is given for each river outlet (after Gneipsson & El-Mayas 1994).

DISTRIBUTION AND TYPE OF DUNE

Most sands in Iceland are black due to their volcanic origin. Yellow sand dunes are very scarce. Glacial rivers, retreating glaciers and volcanic eruptions constantly bring materials for the growth of new sand dunes.

VEGETATION

The flora of Iceland has only about 440 vascular plants and only a few of these are halophytic coastal species. The sand dunes of Iceland have complex associations of vegetation depending on geographical locality.

Strandline

Cakile arctica forms scattered colonies along the shoreline. Other species include Honckenya peploides, Atriplex longipes and Leymus arenarius.

Foredune

L. arenarius occurs in association with Mertensia maritima, Honckenya peploides, Silene maritima, Festuca rubra, Rumex acetosella and Potentilla anserina.

Yellow dune

The main dune building species, Leymus arenarius, is usually the only plant present.

Dune grassland

Grassland develops to landward with Festuca rubra, Silene maritima and Equisetum arvensis. On older back dunes, other grasses may also occur including Festuca ovina and Poa spp., which may occur in association with Leymus arenarius. Scrub including willows (Salix spp.) is also present in these same areas.

IMPORTANT SITES

The list below presented in the original inventory, includes dune systems protected by either the National Conservation Council of Iceland (NCCI) or the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI). There are many more areas protected than are listed here but only those important for nature conservation are given. There is one unprotected site. Note there is no additional information and it has not been possible to link the sites with locations on the map (Figure).

No NAME SIZE (ha) OTHER HABITAT STATUS

1. Budir 500 Lava field NCCI

2. Raudisandur 500 - None

3. Saudlauks-dalur 500 - SCSI

4. Sigridarstad-arsandur 1500 - SCSI

5. Dimmubogir 420 Birch scrub SCSI & NCCI

6. Heradssandur 1400 Wetland SCSI

7. Medalland 14000 Lava field SCSI

8. Myrdalssandur 30000 - SCSI

9. Vik i Myrdal 532 - SCSI

10. Landeyjar 5800 Wetland SCSI

11. Thykkvibaer 2160 - SCSI

12. Thorlakshofn 7550 Lava field SCSI

13. Hlodufell-Skjaldbreidur 43100 Inland dune, glacier SCSI

14. Haukadals-heidi 7560 Eroded soil SCSI

15. Reykjanes-skagi 34350 Eroded, lava field SCSI

NB. Attempts to find additional information on protected areas has not been successful and the table from the original inventory is reproduced here.

CONSERVATION

Deforestation and the introduction of sheep helped to create the extensive mobile sands occurring in Iceland. It has, and still faces, tremendous problems with soil erosion. Although some sand dunes are protected, others, including those that receive a constant supply of sand, are threatened. Sand stabilisation is a constant requirement (Runolfsson 1987). On the south coast, it has prevented the abandonment of several successful fishing villages. Tree planting is a major pastime for the people of Iceland (see BBC report 2005 @ [1]).

Original contact: Dr. Sigurdur Greipsson, greipsso@troy.edu

REFERENCES

Other referenced sources of information

Runolfsson, S., 1978. Soil conservation in Iceland. In: M.W. Holdgate & M.J. Woodman, eds., The Breakdown and Restoration of Ecosystems. Phleum Press, New York, 231-240.

Sgurbjornsson, B., 1960. Studies on the Icelandic Elymus. Ph. D. Thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Tuxen, R., 1970. Pflanzensoziologische Beobachtungen an Islandischen Dunengesellschaften. Vegetatio, 20, 251-278.

Additional references

Additional references provided by Maike Isermann University Bremen, Germany

Fridriksson, S., 1964. Um adflutning lifvera til Surtseyjar. -The colonization of dryland biota on the island of Surtsey of the coast of Iceland. Natturufr, 34/2, Reykjavik.

Greipsson, S. & Davy, A.J., 1994. Germination of Leymus arenarius and its significance for land reclamation in Iceland. Annals of Botany, 73, 493-501.

Gudmundsson, G., 1996. Gathering and processing of lime-grass (Elymus arenarius L. ) in Iceland: An ethnohistorical account. Vegetation history and archaeobotany, 5/1, 2, 13-23.

Hadac, E., 1970. Sea-shore communities of Reykjanes Peninsula, SW. Iceland. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica, 5/2, 133-144. Praha.

Hadac, E., 1949. The flora of Reykjanes peninsula SW-Iceland. Bot. Iceland, 5/1, 1-57, Kopenhagen.

Hadac, E., 1946. The plant communities of Sassen Quarter West-Spitzbergen. Studia botanica Cechoslovaca, 7, 127-164.

Steindórsson, S., 1974. A list of Icelandic plantsociations. Rannsóknarstofnunin Neori As, skýrsla, 17, Hverageroi, 23 pp.

Steindórsson, S., 1936. Om vegetationen paa Melrakkasljetta i det norostlige Island. Botanisk Tidsskrift, 43/6, 436-483. Kobenhavn.

Steindórsson, S., 1976. Some notes on the shore vegetation of Iceland. Acta Botanica Islandica, 4, 19-35. Reykjavik.

Steindórsson, S., 1954. The coastline vegetation at Gásar in Eyjafjördur in the north of Iceland. Nytt Magasin Bot., 3, Oslo.

Thannheiser, D., 1995. Die Küstenvegetation auf Island und den Färöer-Inseln. Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 66, 109-120. Köln.

Thannheiser, D., 1991. Die Küstenvegetation der arktischen und borealen Zone. Berichte der Reinhold Tüxen Gesellschaft, 3, 21-42. Hannover.

Thannheiser, D., 1988. Die Pflanzengesellschaften der isländischen Küstendünen. Norden, 6, 1-12.

Thannheiser, D., 1987. Die Pflanzengesellschaften der isländischen Meeresspülsäume. Münstersche Geographische Arbeiten, 27, 153-160.

Thannheiser, D., 1998. North Atlantic coastal vegetation. Kelletat, D. H., ed. German geographical coastal research. The last decade 1998. Insitut für wissenschaftliche Zusammenarbeit: 221-233, Deile, tübingen.

Thannheiser, D. & Köntges, S., 1998. Der Tourismus auf Spitzbergen. Kieler Geographische Schriften, 97, 265-276.

Thannheiser, D. & Hofmann, W., 1977. Pflanzengesellschaften am Meeresstrand im Kongs- und Krossfjord (West-Spitzbergen). Documents phytosociologiques N. S. 1, 297-303. Lille.

Thannheiser, D., Möller, I. & Wüthrich, C., 1998. Eine Fallstudie über die Vegetationsverhältnisse, den Kohlenstoffhaushalt und mögliche Auswirkungen klimatischer Veränderungen in Westspitzbergen. Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für ökologie, 28, 475-484.

Thoroddsen, T., 1914. An account of the physical geography of Iceland with special reference to the plant life. Botany of Iceland, 1/2, 187-343 London.

Tüxen, R., 1970. Pflanzensoziologische Beobachtungen an isländischen Dünengesellschaften. Vegetatio, 20, 5/6, 251-278. Den Haag.

Vanden Berghen, C., 1969. Apercu sur la flore et la végétation de l'Islande. Bull. Les Naturalistes belges, 50/2, 57-99. Bruxelles.