Researchers have assessed the ecological condition of the mountains in Norway. The grade? 0.68. The lower limit for the condition to be described as good is 0.6.
“We ended up just above the limit value for good ecological condition,” Erik Framstad, senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA), stated.
Nina, together with the NMBU, NTNU, and UiB, has carried out the first national assessment of the ecological condition of the mountains. The assessment is based on 19 indicators related to the structure, functions, and productivity of the mountain ecosystem.
The indicators include but are not limited to the following: reindeer, small rodents, area of glaciers, etc. The indicators are assessed on a scale between 0 and 1, where 1 is little affected by humans, and 0 corresponds to deteriorating ecological conditions.
Future risks
“The conclusion about the good ecological condition in Norwegian mountains is not solid, partly because the value is so close to the limit value. We should also have a more balanced set of indicators since we lack coverage of important ecosystem parts such as various plant groups, insects, and species.
“In addition, it is likely that the future development of important impacts such as climate change and infrastructure development will have a negative effect on the ecological condition of the mountains,” Framstad concluded.
According to the NINA, three indicators, in particular, reduce the end value of the ecological condition: mountain foxes, small rodents, and wolverines.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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