BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN ICELAND - Convention on Biological ...

y governmental institutions and non-governmental organisationsthrough various planting programmes. Legal environmentalconstraints on forestry that can be used to protect biological diversityare presently provided in the Nature Conservation Act, the PhysicalPlanning and Building Act and the Act on Environmental ImpactAssessment. Afforestation plans for areas larger than 200 ha must bereported to the State Planning Agency, which may require that an EIAbe done, especially if the land in question is considered sensitive for avariety of reasons, including considerations of biodiversity.At present, some of the most important native forest remnantshave been protected. Two native forest areas were bought by theIcelandic Forest Service in the 1990s, for conservation purposes. Acomprehensive study of the current status of native forests is nearcompletion, and in coming years, more areas will be set aside forprotection purposes.State supported afforestation plans stipulate that physical areaplanning according to the Physical Planning and Building Act shouldinclude an assessment of conservation value and biodiversity value,and that any areas considered valuable or sensitive shall not beafforested. It is therefore a general rule that wetlands shall not bedrained and used for afforestation. There is also a general objective ofplanning for species mixtures rather than mono-cultures inafforestation. Over 70% of afforestation has been based on alienspecies, such as Russian larch (Larix sukaczewii), lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta), Alaskan black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), engelman bluespruce (Picea engelmannii), white spruce (Picea glauca), norway spruce(Picea abies), sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), lutz spruce (Picea x lutzii), andsilver birch (Betula pendula).Figure 10. Mixed woodland with native birch and imported spruce.50