Effects of environmental factors on inducing soil erosion and shaping the plant community in Icelandic habitats
(2025) BION03 20232Degree Projects in Biology
- Abstract
- Land degradation and soil erosion are considered one of the main threats to ecosystem services and functions, soil stability and activity, plant community structure and biodiversity, and overall life on Earth. Soil erosion is a problem occurring all over Iceland, with an immediate urgency on the Icelandic highlands and rangelands. Currently, over 40% of the country is eroded, steadily causing loss of vegetation cover with imminent consequences for species, structure and productivity. Erosion is caused by environmental and anthropogenic factors, such as climate change with changing precipitation patterns and temperature regimes, distribution of invasive species, and unsustainable land use and agricultural practices. This research project... (More)
- Land degradation and soil erosion are considered one of the main threats to ecosystem services and functions, soil stability and activity, plant community structure and biodiversity, and overall life on Earth. Soil erosion is a problem occurring all over Iceland, with an immediate urgency on the Icelandic highlands and rangelands. Currently, over 40% of the country is eroded, steadily causing loss of vegetation cover with imminent consequences for species, structure and productivity. Erosion is caused by environmental and anthropogenic factors, such as climate change with changing precipitation patterns and temperature regimes, distribution of invasive species, and unsustainable land use and agricultural practices. This research project uses data from an extensive vegetation and soil monitoring scheme in Iceland to examine the effects of specific environmental factors on controlling the level of soil erosion in various natural habitats in Iceland, and on how soil erosion may shape the environment and plant community structure. The aim was to examine which factors induce erosion, how erosion influences species richness and community composition, and how two different methods for estimating erosion compare when evaluating the severity of erosion levels in Icelandic habitats, one being a calculated measurement, erosion %, and the other a visual estimation, erosion level. Elevation, habitat type, and soil type all significantly affected erosion. Furthermore, erosion significantly affected species richness and the number of plant functional groups present within an area. The two erosion estimation methods provided similar results. However, erosion % provided more precise information regarding the actual erosion of each plot, allowing for a more accurate representation of changes over time, whereas erosion level is less efficient in observing changes over time, whilst being an accurate representation of the severity of erosion at a specific time. This research provided novel and valuable information for an ongoing long-term monitoring project, confirming the accuracy of the methods being performed and highlighting the importance of evaluating and monitoring the level or soil erosion in natural Icelandic habitats. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Effects of soil erosion in Icelandic habitats
Most terrestrial ecosystems of the world are based on soil, making it one of the fundamental factors of all life. It is important to maintain and improve soil properties to sustain healthy ecosystems and habitats, preserve biodiversity and environmental quality. Land degradation is the decline in land quality and processes, driven mainly by human activities. Soil erosion is one of the main indicators for land degradation, with drylands all over the world being affected because of overgrazing and other types of land use changes, as well as climate change, affecting the plant community and soil characteristics. Land degradation and soil erosion are considered as one of the main threats to... (More) - Effects of soil erosion in Icelandic habitats
Most terrestrial ecosystems of the world are based on soil, making it one of the fundamental factors of all life. It is important to maintain and improve soil properties to sustain healthy ecosystems and habitats, preserve biodiversity and environmental quality. Land degradation is the decline in land quality and processes, driven mainly by human activities. Soil erosion is one of the main indicators for land degradation, with drylands all over the world being affected because of overgrazing and other types of land use changes, as well as climate change, affecting the plant community and soil characteristics. Land degradation and soil erosion are considered as one of the main threats to ecosystem services and functions. Iceland, which is a volcanically active island located in the sub-Arctic, suffers greatly from severe soil erosion. The main contributors to erosion in Iceland are anthropogenic, along with other environmental factors. Currently, over 40% of the country is eroded, losing vegetation cover, structure and productivity.
This research project focused on some of the effects of specific environmental factors on increasing the level of soil erosion in various natural habitats in Iceland, and how soil erosion may shape the environment and plant community. The aim was to examine which factors lead to erosion, how erosion influences species richness and community composition, and how two different methods for estimating erosion compare when evaluating the severity of erosion levels in Icelandic habitats, one being a calculated measurement, erosion %, and the other one a visual estimation, erosion level.
The thesis focused on some of the variables collected in a long-term monitoring project in Iceland, called GróLind, that were needed to answer the research questions. The variables and measurements were altitude, Line Point Intercept (LPI), species identification, soil classification, habitat classification, estimations of vegetation cover, and level of erosion. The data was gathered during 2019-2023 from over 700 plots located all over Iceland. The plots consisted of two 50 m line transects that crossed over each other, reaching 25 m in each direction. The data collection was either performed along the transects or within the whole area of the plots.
Erosion increased at high altitudes, when the soils were sandy and vegetation cover was not present, followed by exposed and sandy habitats. Furthermore, erosion decreased species richness and the number of plant functional groups present within an area. In addition, species composition varied depending on specific erosion levels. When comparing the two erosion estimating methods, the responses were in correspondence with each other and provided similar results. However, erosion % provided more precise information for the actual erosion stage of the system, allowing for a more accurate representation of any changes over time. Erosion level was less precise at high erosion levels and might not describe minor changes over time, whilst still being an accurate representation of the severity of erosion at a specific time. This research provided further and valuable information for an ongoing long-term monitoring project, confirming the accuracy of the methods employed and highlighting the importance of evaluating and monitoring the magnitude of soil erosion in natural Icelandic habitats.
Master’s Degree Project in Conservation Biology 60 credits 2024
Department of Biology, Lund University
Advisors: Bryndís Marteinsdóttir, Pål Axel Olsson
Land and Forest Iceland, Department of Biology, Lund University (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9184998
- author
- Davíðsdóttir, Sóldögg Rán
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BION03 20232
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- language
- English
- id
- 9184998
- date added to LUP
- 2025-02-12 15:30:49
- date last changed
- 2025-02-12 15:30:49
@misc{9184998,
abstract = {{Land degradation and soil erosion are considered one of the main threats to ecosystem services and functions, soil stability and activity, plant community structure and biodiversity, and overall life on Earth. Soil erosion is a problem occurring all over Iceland, with an immediate urgency on the Icelandic highlands and rangelands. Currently, over 40% of the country is eroded, steadily causing loss of vegetation cover with imminent consequences for species, structure and productivity. Erosion is caused by environmental and anthropogenic factors, such as climate change with changing precipitation patterns and temperature regimes, distribution of invasive species, and unsustainable land use and agricultural practices. This research project uses data from an extensive vegetation and soil monitoring scheme in Iceland to examine the effects of specific environmental factors on controlling the level of soil erosion in various natural habitats in Iceland, and on how soil erosion may shape the environment and plant community structure. The aim was to examine which factors induce erosion, how erosion influences species richness and community composition, and how two different methods for estimating erosion compare when evaluating the severity of erosion levels in Icelandic habitats, one being a calculated measurement, erosion %, and the other a visual estimation, erosion level. Elevation, habitat type, and soil type all significantly affected erosion. Furthermore, erosion significantly affected species richness and the number of plant functional groups present within an area. The two erosion estimation methods provided similar results. However, erosion % provided more precise information regarding the actual erosion of each plot, allowing for a more accurate representation of changes over time, whereas erosion level is less efficient in observing changes over time, whilst being an accurate representation of the severity of erosion at a specific time. This research provided novel and valuable information for an ongoing long-term monitoring project, confirming the accuracy of the methods being performed and highlighting the importance of evaluating and monitoring the level or soil erosion in natural Icelandic habitats.}},
author = {{Davíðsdóttir, Sóldögg Rán}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Effects of environmental factors on inducing soil erosion and shaping the plant community in Icelandic habitats}},
year = {{2025}},
}