Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2023
Höfundar / Authors: Pawel Wasowicz (1), Rannveig Thoroddsen (1), Starri Heiðmarsson (2), Olga Kolbrún Vilmundardóttir (1), Járngerður Grétarsdóttir (1), Einar. Ó. Þorleifsson (2), Brynjólfur Brynjólfsson(1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands, 2. Náttúrustofa Norðurlands Vestra
Kynnir / Presenter: Pawel Wasowicz
The Central Highlands of Iceland, with their harsh climate and short growing season, stand as one of Europe's last vast wilderness areas. Despite being sparsely inhabited, human influence has shaped this region for over a millennium. Factors such as the Little Ice Age (1600–1900) have led to notable shifts in vegetation cover, resulting in increased erosion and desertification. Previous research indicates that while human activities have transformed the landscape, they have not altered the composition of the flora, highlighting the critical role the highlands play in preserving the distribution of native plant species in Iceland. Surprisingly, the distribution of introduced plant species in the Central Highlands of Iceland has never been systematically examined before. The talk will present and discuss the results of our recent research on the colonization of highland areas by non-native vascular plant species.