Study sites: (1) Gunnlaugsskógur, (2) Bolholt,(3) Stóri Klofi, (4) Hraunteigur, (5) Búrfellsskógur
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METADATA LANGUAGE, Icelandic / English
DATA MAKER, Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCSI) ~~ www.land.is ~~
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Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI) ~~
www.lbhi.is ~~
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Icelandic Forest Service (IFS) ~~
www.skogur.is ~~
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Hekla Forests (HF) ~~
www.hekluskogar.is
DATE, January 2008 – December 2011
SPATIAL EXTENT, Hekluskogar area
ABSTRACT, The Kolbjörk project is a comprehensive study of ecosystem changes after restoration of mountain birch (Betula pubescens Ehr.) on severely degraded areas. The project is set up as a chronosequence study of established tree plots dating back 60 years with comparison to natural old growth forests in the area. The study focusses on changes in: (a) understory vegetation community composition\, (b) carbon stocks in wood\, vegetation and soil\, (c) carbon fluxes\, (d) colonization of mycorrhizal fungi and (e) soil development. ~~ ~~
Study area: ~~
The research sites are in a severely degraded area close to an active volcano\, Mt Hekla in south Iceland. During outbreaks in Mt Hekla tephra fall-out has frequently covered large areas near the mountainn and caused destabilisation of surfaces by directly killing vegetation and subsequent erosion due to aeolian movement of tephra. Efforts to restore vegetation in the areas reach back ca 100 years. In order to stabilize the area and prevent further erosion due to volcanic events a large reforestation project\, Hekluskogar\, is underway. The project has the aim is to restore native birch woodland in the vicinity of Mt Hekla. ~~ ~~
Research sites: ~~
The study includes three reclaimed areas: Gunnlaugsskógur\, Stóri Klofi and Bolholt which are compared to two natural old growth forests: Hraunteigur and Búrfellsskógur (fig 1). Reclamation at two sites\, Gunnlaugsskógur and Stóri Klofi\, commenced about 1940 on severely degraded land that had been devoid of tree cover for a long time. On both sites small groves of birch was established\, which have been expanding since through natural succession. To get two complete chronosequences a third site\, Bolholt\, was needed\, where planting started in the 80’s.
DOCUMENTATION, Kolbjork: Carbon sequestration and soil development under mountain birch (Betula pubescens) in restored areas in southern Iceland. Pall Kolka\, Brian K Slater\, Guomundur Halldorsson\, Olafur Arnalds. 2010. 19th World Congress of Soil Science\, Soil Solutions for a Changing World ~~
2010-Pall-Kolka-et-al.pdf
CONTACT, Project leader: ~~
Ólafur Arnalds (AUI) ~~
oa@lbhi.is ~~ ~~
Other main researchers: ~~
Ása L. Aradóttir (AUI) ~~ asa@lbhi.is ~~ ~~
Guðmundur Halldórsson (SCSI) ~~ gudmundurh@land.is ~~ ~~
Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson (AUI) ~~ bjarni@lbhi.is ~~ ~~
Arnór Snorrason (IFS) ~~ arnor@skogur.is ~~ ~~
Ólafur Eggertsson (IFS) ~~ olie@skogur.is ~~ ~~
Edda S. Oddsdóttir (IFS) ~~ edda@skogur.is
OTHER PUBLICATIONS, Asa L Aradóttir & Guðmundur Halldórsson. (2011). Framvinda botngróðurs við endurheimt birkiskóga Rit Fræðaþings landbúnaðarins\, 8\, 350-354. ~~
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Ása L Aradóttir\, Guðmundur Halldórsson\, Kristín Svavarsdóttir & Ólafur Arnalds. (2011). Vistheimtarrannsóknir – yfirlit. In Ása L. Aradóttir & Guðmundur Halldórsson (Eds.)\, Vistheimt á Íslandi (pp. 112-127): Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands og Landgræðsla ríkisins. ~~
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Magnús Þór Einarsson. (2013). Áhrif landgræðsluaðgerða á Rangárvöllum á gróðurfar og kolefnisflæði. M.S. ritgerð\, Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands\, Hvanneyri. ~~
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Magnús Þór Einarsson & Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson. (2010). Breytingar á magni og samsetningu botngróðurs við landgræðslu og endurheimt birkiskóga á ofanverðum Rangárvöllum. Rit Fræðaþings landbúnaðarins\, 7\, 320-324. ~~
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Guðmundur Halldórsson\, Ása L Aradóttir\, Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson\, Edda S. Oddsdóttir\, Matthias Hunziker & Ólafur Arnalds. (2011). Kolbjörk – endurheimt birkivistkerfa og kolefnisbinding. In Ása L. Aradóttir & Guðmundur Halldórsson (Eds.)\, Vistheimt á Íslandi (pp. 133-136): Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands og Landgræðsla ríkisins. ~~
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Guðmundur Halldórsson\, Arnór Snorrason\, Ása L. Aradóttir\, Bjarni D. Sigurðsson\, Edda S. Oddsdóttir\, Ólafur Eggertsson\, Páll Kolka & Ólafur Arnalds. (2009). KolBjörk: endurheimt birkivistkerfa og kolefnisbinding. Rit Fræðaþings landbúnaðarins\, 6\, 438-442. ~~
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Matthias Hunziker. (2011). A study on above- and belowground biomass and carbon stocks as well as sequestration of mountain birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) along chronosequence in southern Iceland. M.Sc. thesis\, University of Basel\, Basel\, S. ~~
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Matthias Hunziker\, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson\, Gudmundur Halldorsson & Nikolaus J. Kuhn. (2010). Woody Biomass and Carbon Stocks of Natural vs. Restored Mountain Birch (Betula pubescens\, Ehrh.) Woodlands in South Iceland Geophysical Research Abstracts\, 12\, EGU2010-PREVIEW\, 2010. ~~
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Matthias Hunziker\, Bjarni D. Sigurdsson\, Gudmundur Halldorsson\, Wolfgang Schwanghart & Nikolaus Kuhn. (2014). Biomass allometries and coarse root biomass distribution of mountain birch in southern Iceland. Icelandic Agricultural Sciences\, 27\, 111-125. ~~
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Páll Valdimar Kolka. (2011). CarbBirch (Kolbjörk): Carbon sequestration and soil development under mountain birch (Betula pubescens) in rehabilitated areas in southern Iceland. M.Sc. thesis\, The Ohio State University. ~~
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Edda Sigurdís Oddsdóttir\, Arnór Snorrason\, Ólafur Eggertsson\, Brynja Hrafnkelsdóttir & Guðmundur Halldórsson. (2011). Kolbjörk. Endurheimt birkivistkerfa og kolefnisbinding. In Esther Ösp Gunnarsdóttir (Ed.)\, Ársrit Skógræktar ríkisins 2010 (pp. 23-27). Egilsstöðum: Skógrækt ríkisins.
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