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Revegetation of eroded land and possibilities of carbon sequestration in Iceland

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Abstract

Carbon (C) sequestration within the context of the Kyoto protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has great potential as an incentive for combating land degradation and desertification. Desertification continues to be a major threat to Iceland's natural resources. Revegetation in Iceland can both reduce C in the atmosphere by fixing C in vegetation and soil, and also reduce C emission by preventing further ecosystem damage, vegetation degradation and subsequent soil erosion. The sequestration potential in Iceland lies in the available land area and in the soil properties. Iceland has vast areas where vegetation can be enhanced or restored (10 000–45 000 km2), and the Andic nature of Icelandic soils tends to immobilize C. In the year 2001 the Soil Conservation Service worked on revegetation of roughly 13 000 ha or 130 km2, resulting in C sequestration of about 8000–14000 Mg C in 2001. Reclamation of degraded land through changed land use, and/or seeding and fertilizing can promote sustainable development and healthier ecosystems, increase biological diversity and soil fertility, in addition to mitigating climate change through C sequestration.

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  1. Soil Conservation Service, Gunnarsholt, IS-851, Iceland

    Anna María Ágústsdóttir

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  1. Anna María Ágústsdóttir
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Ágústsdóttir, A.M. Revegetation of eroded land and possibilities of carbon sequestration in Iceland. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 70, 241–247 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:FRES.0000048476.18780.f2

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