Editing Iceland (section)

===Wildlife===
{{main||Wildlife of Iceland}}
The entire country is in a single [[ecoregion]], the [[Iceland boreal birch forests and alpine tundra]]. Some areas are covered by [[glacier]]s.

====Plants====
[[Phytogeographically]], Iceland belongs to the Arctic province of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]]. Plantlife consists mainly of grassland, which is regularly grazed by livestock. The most common tree native to Iceland is the northern birch (''[[Betula pubescens]]''), which formerly formed forests over much of Iceland, along with aspens (''[[Populus tremula]]''), rowans (''[[Sorbus aucuparia]]''), common junipers (''[[Juniperus communis]]''), and other smaller trees, mainly willows.

When the island was first settled, it was extensively forested, with around 30% of the land covered in trees. In the late 12th century, [[Ari the Wise]] described it in the [[Íslendingabók]] as "forested from mountain to sea shore".<ref name="Dirt">{{cite book |author=David R. Montgomery |title=Dirt: The Erosion of Civilisations |publisher=University of California Press |year=2007 |pages=224–225 }}</ref> Permanent human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem of thin, volcanic soils and limited [[species richness|species diversity]]. The forests were heavily exploited over the centuries for firewood and timber.<ref name="wildlife"/> [[Deforestation]], climatic deterioration during the [[Little Ice Age]], and overgrazing by sheep imported by settlers caused a loss of critical topsoil due to [[erosion]]. Today, many farms have been abandoned. Three-quarters of Iceland's {{convert|100,000|km2|mi2}} is affected by soil erosion; {{convert|18000|km2|abbr=on}} is affected to a degree serious enough to make the land useless.<ref name="Dirt"/> Only a few small birch stands now exist in isolated reserves. The Icelandic Forest Service and other forestry groups promote large-scale reforestation in the country. Due to the reforestation efforts, the forest cover of Iceland increased six-fold since the 1990s. This helps to offset carbon emissions, prevent sand storms and increase the productivity of farms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Todd |first1=Sarah |title=Iceland is bringing back the forests razed by Vikings |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/iceland-forests-vikings-trees |website=World Economic Forum |access-date=26 July 2022 |archive-date=26 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726062432/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/iceland-forests-vikings-trees |url-status=live }}</ref> The planting of new forests has increased the number of trees, but the result does not compare to the original forests. Some of the planted forests include [[introduced species]].<ref name="wildlife" /> The tallest tree in Iceland is a [[sitka spruce]] planted in 1949 in [[Kirkjubæjarklaustur]]; it was measured at {{convert|25.2|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skogur.is/um-skograekt-rikisins/frettir/nr/1882 |title=Fyrsta tréð á Íslandi til að rjúfa 25 metra múrinn |language=is |trans-title=The first tree in Iceland to break the 25 meter barrier |author=Pure Oskarsson |date=26 February 2013 |publisher=Iceland forest service |access-date=25 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304121114/http://www.skogur.is/um-skograekt-rikisins/frettir/nr/1882 |archive-date=4 March 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Algae such as ''[[Chondrus crispus]]'', ''[[Phyllphora truncata]]'' and ''Phyllophora crispa'' and others have been recorded from Iceland.<ref>Dixon, P.S. and Irvine, L.M. 1977 ''Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume 1 Rhodophyta Part 1 Introduction, Nemaliales, Gigartinales''. British Museum (Natural History){{ISBN|0 565 00781 5}}</ref>

====Animals====
[[File:Alopex lagopus IMG 9019.JPG|right|thumb|The [[Arctic fox]] was the only land mammal in Iceland before the arrival of humans.]]

The only native land mammal when humans arrived was the [[Arctic fox]],<ref name="wildlife">{{cite web|url=http://www.iww.is/pages/alife/biglf.html |title=Wildlife |year=2000 |work=Iceland Worldwide |publisher=Iceland Whale Watching |access-date=22 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414112114/http://www.iww.is/pages/alife/biglf.html |archive-date=14 April 2010 }}</ref> which came to the island at the end of the ice age, walking over the frozen sea. On rare occasions, bats have been carried to the island with the winds, but they are not able to breed there. No native or free-living reptiles or amphibians are on the island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nat.is/Spendyr/wild_mammals.htm |title=Wild Mammals in Iceland |publisher=Nordic Adventure Travel |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616093010/http://www.nat.is/Spendyr/wild_mammals.htm |archive-date=16 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The animals of Iceland include the [[Icelandic sheep]], [[Icelandic cattle|cattle]], [[Icelandic chicken|chickens]], [[Icelandic goat|goats]], the sturdy [[Icelandic horse]], and the [[Icelandic Sheepdog]], all descendants of animals imported by Europeans. Wild mammals include the Arctic fox, [[mink]], mice, rats, rabbits, and [[reindeer]]. [[Polar bears]] occasionally visit the island, travelling from [[Greenland]] on icebergs, but no Icelandic populations exist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nat.is/Spendyr/polar_bear.htm |title=Polar bears |publisher=Nordic Adventure Travel |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616092940/http://www.nat.is/Spendyr/polar_bear.htm |archive-date=16 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In June 2008, two polar bears arrived in the same month.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2008/06/17/second-polar-bear-killed-in-iceland/ |title=Second polar bear killed in Iceland |date=17 June 2008 |publisher=IceNews |access-date=3 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927220213/http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2008/06/17/second-polar-bear-killed-in-iceland/ |archive-date=27 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Marine mammals]] include the [[grey seal]] (''Halichoerus grypus'') and [[harbour seal]] (''Phoca vitulina'').

Many species of fish live in the ocean waters surrounding Iceland, and the [[fishing industry]] is a major part of Iceland's economy, accounting for roughly half of the country's total exports. Birds, especially seabirds, are an important part of Iceland's animal life. [[Atlantic puffin]]s, [[skua]]s, and [[black-legged kittiwake]]s nest on its sea cliffs.<ref>[[#Wilcox|Wilcox and Latif]], pp. 14–15</ref>

[[Commercial whaling]] is practised intermittently<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amx.is/vidskipti/4381 |title=Hvalveiðiákvörðun stendur í ár |trans-title=Whaling decision stands in years |language=is |publisher=Amx.is |access-date=10 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221071915/http://www.amx.is/vidskipti/4381 |archive-date=21 February 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://skip.vb.is/frettir/nr/12499 |title=Hvalveiðarnar hefjast í júníbyrjun |trans-title=Whaling to begin in June |date=12 March 2009 |publisher=Fiskifréttir |language=is |access-date=22 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722022653/http://skip.vb.is/frettir/nr/12499%3Bjsessionid%3DA52268B9503F643AC74B0BC6C206258E |archive-date=22 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> along with scientific whale hunts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hafro.is/undir_eng.php?ID=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523085642/http://www.hafro.is/undir_eng.php?ID=15 |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 May 2019 |title=Cetaceans |publisher=Marine Research Institute, Iceland }}</ref> Whale watching has become an important part of Iceland's economy since 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/2012/02/whaling-nations-could-trade-eco-warriors-for-eco-tourists |title=Whaling nations could trade eco warriors for eco tourists |publisher=[[University of Technology, Sydney]] |date=2 February 2012 |access-date=11 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407165122/http://newsroom.uts.edu.au/news/2012/02/whaling-nations-could-trade-eco-warriors-for-eco-tourists |archive-date=7 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Around 1,300 species of insects are known in Iceland. This is low compared with other countries (over one million species have been described worldwide). Iceland is essentially free of [[mosquitoes]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://visindavefur.hi.is/svar.php?id=2166 |title=Vísindavefurinn: Af hverju lifa ekki moskítóflugur á Íslandi, fyrst þær geta lifað báðum megin á Grænlandi? |language=Is |publisher=Visindavefur.hi.is |access-date=15 October 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130802162121/http://visindavefur.hi.is/svar.php?id=2166 |archive-date=2 August 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>