List of protected areas of Svalbard

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The northernmost tip of Prins Karls Forland in Forlandet National Park Prins-karls-forrland pho.jpg
The northernmost tip of Prins Karls Forland in Forlandet National Park
Map of protected areas of Svalbard. National parks in green, nature reserves in purple, geotope protection areas in orange, bird sanctuaries with a bird icon, islands in black and seas in blue. Svalbard protected areas map with names.svg
Map of protected areas of Svalbard. National parks in green, nature reserves in purple, geotope protection areas in orange, bird sanctuaries with a bird icon, islands in black and seas in blue.

Svalbard is an Arctic wilderness archipelago comprising the northernmost part of Norway. There are twenty-nine protected natural areas, consisting of seven national parks, six nature reserves, fifteen bird sanctuaries and one geotope protected area. [1] In addition, human traces dating from before 1946 are automatically protected. [2] The protected areas make up 39,800 square kilometers (15,400 sq mi) or 65% of the land area, and 78,000 square kilometers (30,000 sq mi) or 86.5% of the territorial waters. The largest protected areas are Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve and Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve, which cover most of the areas east of the main island of Spitsbergen, including the islands of Nordaustlandet, Edgeøya, Barentsøya, Kong Karls Land and Kvitøya. Six of the national parks are located on Spitsbergen. Ten of the bird sanctuaries and the Moffen Nature Reserve are located within national parks. Five of the bird sanctuaries are Ramsar sites and fourteen of the bird sanctuaries are islands. [1] Svalbard is on Norway's tentative list for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [3]

Contents

The supreme responsibility for conservation lies with the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, which has delegated the management to the Governor of Svalbard and the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. The foundation for conservation was established in the Svalbard Treaty of 1920, and has been further specified in the Svalbard Environmental Act of 2001. [4] The first round of protection took force on 1 July 1973, when most of the current protected areas came into effect. This included the two large nature reserves and three of the national parks. Moffen Nature Reserve was established in 1983, followed by four national parks, three nature reserves and one geotope protection area between 2002 and 2005. [1]

Two primarily terrestrial mammalian species inhabit the archipelago: the Arctic fox and the Svalbard reindeer. There are 15 to 20 types of marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, and polar bears. About 30 types of bird are found on Svalbard, most of which are migratory. The Barents Sea is among the areas in the world with most seabirds, with about 20 million individuals during late summer. Sixteen bird species are on the IUCN Red List. In particular, Bjørnøya, Storfjorden, Nordvest-Spitsbergen and Hopen are important breeding grounds for seabirds. Svalbard has permafrost and tundra, with both low, middle and high Arctic vegetation. There have been found 165 species of plants on the archipelago, [1] although vegetation only covers 10% of the island group. [5] Low precipitation gives the archipelago a steppe climate; however plants still have good access to water because the cold climate reduces evaporation. [1] [6] The growing season is very short, and may last only for a few weeks. [7]

National parks, nature reserves and geotope protection areas

The following lists contains all national parks, nature reserves and geotope protection areas in Svalbard. It includes the protected areas' name, type, total size, size of the land area and size of the marine area, excluding freshwater, in square kilometers and square miles.

AreaTypeEstablishedSize
km2		Size
sq mi		Land
km2		Land
sq mi		Marine
km2		Marine
sq mi		Ref
Bjørnøya Nature Reserve Nature reserve16 August 20022,981.31,151.1177682,8051,083 [1] [8]
Festningen Geotope Protected Area Geotope protection area26 September 200316.66.414531 [9]
Forlandet National Park National park1 July 19734,626.81,786.46162384,0181,551 [1] [10]
Hopen Nature Reserve Nature reserve26 September 20033,185.61,230.046183,1401,210 [1] [11]
Indre Wijdefjorden National Park National park9 September 20051,127.1435.2745288382147 [1] [12]
Moffen Nature Reserve Nature reserve3 June 19838.83.45242 [13]
Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve Nature reserve1 July 197355,354.321,372.418,6637,20636,69114,166 [1] [14]
Nordenskiöld Land National Park National park26 September 20031,362.3526.0155601,207466 [1] [15]
Nordre Isfjorden National Park National park26 September 20032,952.11,139.82,050790904349 [1] [16]
Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park National park1 July 19739,870.53,811.03,6841,4226,1892,390 [1] [17]
Ossian Sars Nature Reserve Nature reserve26 September 200312.14.712500 [1] [18]
Sassen-Bünsow Land National Park National park26 September 20031,230.5475.11,1574477328 [1] [19]
Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve Nature reserve1 July 197321,825.98,427.015,4265,95625,4369,821 [1] [20]
Sør-Spitsbergen National Park National park1 July 197313,177.35,087.85,0301,9408,1983,165 [1] [21]

Bird sanctuaries

Long-tailed skua Long-tailed Skua (js) 26.jpg
Long-tailed skua
Arctic tern Arctic tern (js) 23.jpg
Arctic tern

The following lists contains all bird sanctuaries in Svalbard. It includes the sanctuaries' names and total size in square kilometers and square miles. Bird sanctuaries that are also Ramsar sites are indicated. All bird sanctuaries were established on 1 July 1973.

†Ramsar sites
AreaSize
km2		Size
sq mi		Ref
Blomstrandhamna Bird Sanctuary 0.60.23 [22]
Boheman Bird Sanctuary 2.10.81 [23]
Dunøyane Bird Sanctuary †11.94.6 [24]
Forlandsøyane Bird Sanctuary †5.42.1 [25]
Gåsøyane Bird Sanctuary †2.40.93 [26]
Guissezholmen Bird Sanctuary 0.40.15 [27]
Hermansen Island Bird Sanctuary 4.21.6 [28]
Isøyane Bird Sanctuary †2.30.89 [29]
Kapp Linné Bird Sanctuary 1.90.73 [30]
Kongsfjorden Bird Sanctuary †7.12.7 [31]
Moseøya Bird Sanctuary 1.40.54 [32]
Olsholmen Bird Sanctuary 0.50.19 [33]
Plankeholmane Bird Sanctuary 1.60.62 [34]
Skorpa Bird Sanctuary 1.10.42 [35]
Sørkapp Bird Sanctuary 36.013.9 [36]

Related Research Articles

Svalbard Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean

Svalbard, also known as Spitsbergen, or Spitzbergen, is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. North of mainland Europe, it is about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. The islands of the group range from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The largest island is Spitsbergen, followed by Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya. The largest settlement is Longyearbyen.

Spitsbergen Largest island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway

Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway.

Sør-Spitsbergen National Park

Sør-Spitsbergen National Park encompasses the southern end of Spitsbergen island in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway. The park was opened in 1973 and includes Wedel Jarlsberg Land, Torell Land and Sørkapp Land. Over 65% of the region is ice cap, with much of the rest tundra.

Indre Wijdefjorden National Park National park in northern Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway

Indre Wijdefjorden National Park is located in a steep fjord landscape in northern Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. It covers the inner part of Wijdefjorden—the longest fjord on Svalbard. The national park was established on 9 September 2005 and covers 1,127 km2 (435 sq mi), of which 745 km2 (288 sq mi) is on land and 382 km2 (147 sq mi) is sea. The marine environment changes vastly from the mouth of the fjord, through a still, cold, water basin, becoming deeper before reaching the glacier Mittag-Lefflerbreen at the inner-most sections of the fjord.

Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve

Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve is located in the north-eastern part of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. The nature reserve covers all of Nordaustlandet, Kong Karls Land, Kvitøya, Sjuøyane, Storøya, Lågøya, Wilhelm Island, Wahlbergøya and a small section of the north-east corner of Spitsbergen. The reserve is 55,354 square kilometres (21,372 sq mi), of which 18,663 square kilometres (7,206 sq mi) is on land and 36,691 square kilometres (14,166 sq mi) is on water—making it the largest preserved area in Norway. It includes the largest glacier in Norway, Austfonna, as well as Vestfonna and parts of Olav V Land. The reserve has been protected since 1 July 1973 and borders in the south to Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve.

Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve

Søraust-Svalbard Nature Reserve is located in the south-eastern part of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. The nature reserve covers all of Edgeøya and Barentsøya in addition to a number of smaller islands, including Thousand Islands, Ryke Yseøyane and Halvmåneøya. The reserve is 21,825 square kilometres (8,427 sq mi), of which 6,400 square kilometres (2,500 sq mi) is on land and 15,426 square kilometres (5,956 sq mi) is on water—making it the second-largest preserved area in Norway. The reserve has been protected since 1 July 1973 and borders the Nordaust-Svalbard Nature Reserve to the north.

Svalbard is an Arctic, wilderness archipelago comprising the northernmost part of Norway. It is mostly uninhabited, with only about 3,000 people, yet covers an area of 61,020 square kilometres (23,560 sq mi).

Festningen Geotope Protected Area

Festningen Geotope Protected Area is located at the outermost edge of Grønfjorden's mouth to Isfjorden on Nordenskiöld Land, Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. The profile is a cliff which runs along the coast from Kapp Starostin to Festningsodden. It covers an areas of 16.6 square kilometres (6.4 sq mi), of which 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi) is on land and 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) in the sea. Barentsburg is the closest settlement, located 6 kilometres (4 mi) away, across Grønfjorden. Festningen was protect on 26 September 2003, as part of a major expansion of the protected areas in Svalbard. The protected areas is administrated by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management and the Governor of Svalbard. Festningen is a traditional name given by Norwegian hunters to the area because it looked like a natural fortress.

Ossian Sars Nature Reserve

Ossian Sars Nature Reserve is located at the inner-most part of Kongsfjorden on Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. It was created on 26 September 2003 to preserve the mountain Ossian Sarsfjellet and the surrounding vegetation, although it had been protected as a plant conservatory area in 1984 The nature reserve covers 12.139 square kilometers. Hiking is permitted, but tenting is not.

Blomstrandhamna Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes the skerry in Blomstrandhamna in Haakon VII Land. The protected area covers a total of 580,000 square metres.

Dunøyane Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve in Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes islands west of Dunøysundet in Wedel Jarlsberg Land. The protected area covers a total of around 11.9 km2.

Forlandsøyane Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Forlandsøyane off Prins Karls Forland. The protected area covers a total area of around 5,400,000 square metres.

Gåsøyane Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Gåsøyane in Bünsow Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 2,400,000 square metres.

Guissezholmen Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes islets at Kapp Guissez in Haakon VII Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 400,000 square metres.

Kapp Linné Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes areas between Randvika and Fyrsjøen on Nordenskiöld Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 1,900,000 square metres.

Moseøya Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Moseøya, south of Danes Island, part of Albert I Land. The protected area covers a total area of around 1,400,000 square metres.

Olsholmen Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Olsholmen off Wedel Jarlsberg Land, Spitsbergen. The protected area covers a total area of around 461,000 square metres.

Skorpa Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes islets off Harpunodden in Albert I Land, Spitsbergen. The protected area covers a total area of around 1,100,000 square metres.

Sørkapp Bird Sanctuary

Sørkapp Bird Sanctuary is a bird reserve at Svalbard, Norway, established in 1973. It includes Sørkappøya and other islands off Sørkapp Land, Spitsbergen. The protected area covers a total area of 3,599ha

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Protected Areas in Svalbard". Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Umbriet (2005): 132
  3. ↑ "Svalbard". UNESCO . Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  4. ↑ Backer, Inge Lorang. "Svalbardloven" (in Norwegian). Norwegian National Authority for the Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
  5. ↑ Torkilsen (1984): 144
  6. ↑ Torkilsen (1984): 101
  7. ↑ Umbreit (2005): 32
  8. ↑ "Bjørnøya naturreservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  9. ↑ "Festningen geotopvernområde" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  10. ↑ "Forlandet nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  11. ↑ "Hopen naturreservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "Indre Wijdefjorde nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  13. ↑ "Moffen naturreservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  14. ↑ "Nordaust-Svalbard naturreservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  15. ↑ "Nordenskiöld Land nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  16. ↑ "Nordre Isfjorden nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  17. ↑ "Nordvest-Spitsbergen nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  18. ↑ "Ossian Sars naturreservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  19. ↑ "Sassen-Bünsow Land nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  20. ↑ "Søraust-Svalbard naturreservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  21. ↑ "Sør-Spitsbergen nasjonalpark" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  22. ↑ "Blomstrandhamna fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  23. ↑ "Boheman fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  24. ↑ "Dunøyane fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  25. ↑ "Forlandsøyane fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  26. ↑ "Gåsøyane fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  27. ↑ "Guissezholmen fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  28. ↑ "Hermansenøya fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  29. ↑ "Isøyane fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  30. ↑ "Kapp Linné fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  31. ↑ "Kongsfjorden fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  32. ↑ "Moseøya fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  33. ↑ "Olsholmen fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  34. ↑ "Plankeholmane fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  35. ↑ "Skorpa fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  36. ↑ "Sørkapp fuglereservat" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2010.

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