Reference: Thorsteinsson,
I. 1977. Vegetation and land use (in Icelandic). Lesarkir Landverndar
2, Landvernd, Reykjavik, Iceland. |
example 8 eroded
Cryand landscape
Iceland
Many highland landscapes of Iceland
originally consisted of deep Andisols overlying
glacial till. However, centuries of overgrazing
by sheep and the high susceptibility of these
Andisols to wind erosion have resulted in
landscapes such as the one illustrated in this
photo. In the foreground, rocky glacial till has
been exposed by erosion of the overlying Andisol,
thereby promoting desertification. Only sparse
vegetation is supported by the glacial till
despite an annual precipitation of 1100 mm. An
Andisol ~1.5 m thick can be seen (middle part of
photo) supporting healthy vegetation. It has been
estimated that the vegetative cover of Iceland
has been reduced by >60% since settlement
because of overgrazing and soil erosion
For more information on desertification in
Iceland, visit http://www.rala.is/desert/.
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