Landgræðsla Ríkisins ‐ The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, SCS (SCS)

Updated 2012-08-28

The main tasks of the SCSI include combating desertification, sand encroachment and other soil erosion, promotion of sustainable land use and reclamation and restoration of degraded land. The work is on different levels, from policy making and research, to extension services and management of large‐ and small‐scale reclamation projects. The total area of reclamation sites is about 4460 km2. The SCSI operates several district offices around Iceland with headquarters at Gunnarsholt in South Iceland. The total number of permanent staff is about 60. Over 600 farmers participate in reclamation activities in cooperation with the SCSI. These sites are monitored annually with site visits by SCSI staff. • The SCSI monitors vegetation dynamics, carbon sequestration in soils and vegetation in all land reclamation sites active since 1990 as a part of Iceland's commitment to the Kyoto emission imitation commitment. Over 500 plots are monitored since 2007 or about 100 annually, hence revisited every five years. • The SCSI also monitors streambank erosion. • The SCSI in collaboration with the University of Iceland, institutes and individuals around Iceland monitor phenology of selected plant species for determining long term impact of climate change on plants. The project started in 2010 with monitoring sites located in diverse conditions. Main gaps: Not specified Network type: ‐ Thematic observations ‐ Field stations ‐ Permanent monitoring plots

Time frame

Status
Ongoing
Project time span
1907 -
Data collection
1907 -
Data processing
1907 -
Data reporting
1907 -

Contact information

Contact person
- -
Address
Director, Sveinn Runólfsson
Email
si.dnal@nnievs

Parameters and Media

Not specified

Geography

Regions studied
Iceland

Data availability

Samples/specimens archived in specimen banks?
No

Methods & Procedures

Procedures and methodology used for, e.g., sampling and sample storage, sample pretreatment, extraction and analysis, including which laboratories are involved, references to methods employed, etc.

Soil erosion, land degradation, ecosystem restoration, carbon fixation, rangeland condition, grazing issues.

Additional Information

Is this a bi- AND multi-lateral project (i.e. a project involving cooperation between different countries)?
No
Other institutes involved in the project

Landgræðsla Ríkisins ‐ The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, SCS (SCS)

Is this project reporting to other organizations/programmes?

Not specified Networks: United Nations University – Land Restoration Training programme (UNU-LRT), Restoration of damaged Ecosystems in the Nordic countries - a Nordic multidisciplinary network (ReNo)

Indigenous AND traditional knowledge used in this project

No

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