SCANNET

Contact Details

Litla Skard Field Station
c/o Borgthor Magnusson
Icelandic Institute of Natural History
Hlemmur 3, P.O. Box 5320
125 Reykjavik
Iceland
Phone - 354 - 5 900 500
Fax - 354 - 5 900 595
Email -

Location

The Litla-Skard bio-monitoring area is located in the lowlands of western Iceland (64º43' N, 21º37' W), about 38 km from the coastline.

Climate

Mean temperature in January: -1.8 ºC
Mean temperature in July: 10,9 ºC
Mean Annual Precipitation: 740 mm

Biodiversity

Birch shrub, moss heath, sedge mires, grassland and sparsely vegetated fell fields are found within the area.

Human Dimension

Farmsteads and sheep grazing main land-use in the past, converting to summerhouses, tourism, hunting and research.

Species Performance

Vascular plant composition and birch height, occurrence of birds.

General Research

A national site for the International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems (ICP IM). The main research emphasis up till now has been on chemistry of precipitation, groundwater and runoff water, climate and hydrology. Vegetation inventory has been carried out at the site and the main vegetation and soil types have been mapped. The research is mostly confined to a 56 ha catchment area. Automated weather and hydrological stations were set up at the site in 2000.

Existing Data Bases

Climatic records, catchment hydrology and water chemistry, limited biological records.

History and Facilities

The Litla-Skard site was designated as a biomonitoring area in 1996. Litla-Skard is an old, lowland farm. The site is now owned by the Iceland Forest Service. In the past most of the area was used as wide, open ranges for grazing livestock, mainly sheep. The site has not been grazed since 1985. Afforestation at the site is very limited and disturbance is low. The total land area of Litla-Skard is 3 km2 and is within an elevation of 60 - 230 m a.s.l. The site is operated jointly by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Hydrological Service of the National Energy Authority, Icelandic Meteorological Office, Environmental and Food Agency of Iceland, Agricultural Research Institute and Iceland Forest Service. At Litla-Skard there are no research buildings or labs and permanent staff is not located at the site. There is, however, a well equipped, modern cottage at the site, with running water, electricity and central heating. It is owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest Service. The cottage has 3 double rooms and can accommodate 6 - 8 people. The cottage can be rented for a moderate price throughout the year, excluding the main holiday season (June 15 - August 30).

Transportation

Litla-Skard is reached by car throughout the year. It is located by the main central highway, 100 km from Reykavik. Keflavik international airport is about two hours drive from the site.