Editing Geography of Norway (section)

==Fauna==
{{main|Wildlife of Norway}}

Due to the large latitudinal range of the country and its varied topography and climate, Norway has a higher number of [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]] than almost any other European country.{{Cn|date=December 2023}} There are approximately 60,000 species of plant and animal life in Norway and adjacent waters. The [[Norwegian continental shelf|Norwegian Shelf]] large marine ecosystem is considered highly productive.<ref>[http://www.eoearth.org/article/Norwegian_Shelf_large_marine_ecosystem Norwegian Shelf ecosystem] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612213944/http://www.eoearth.org/article/Norwegian_Shelf_large_marine_ecosystem |date=12 June 2010 }}</ref> The total number of species include 16,000 species of [[insect]]s (probably 4,000 more species yet to be described), 20,000 species of [[algae]], 1,800 species of [[lichen]], 1,050 species of [[moss]]es, 2,800 species of [[vascular plant]]s, up to 7,000 species of [[fungi]], 450 species of [[bird]]s (250 species nesting in Norway), 90 species of [[mammal]]s, 45 species of freshwater fish, 150 species of saltwater fish, 1,000 species of freshwater [[invertebrate]]s and 3,500 species of saltwater invertebrates.<ref>[http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/md/dok/nou-er/2004/nou-2004-28/6.html?id=388879 NOU 2004] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511130011/http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/md/dok/NOU-er/2004/NOU-2004-28/6.html?id=388879 |date=11 May 2008 }}</ref> About 40,000 of these species have been scientifically described. In the summer of 2010, scientific exploration in Finnmark discovered 126 species of insects new to Norway, of which 54 species were new to science.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stadig flere insekter oppdages i Finnmark |trans-title=More and more insects are being found in Finnmark |url=http://www.artsdatabanken.no/ArticleList.aspx?m=6&amid=11974 |date=2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604035415/http://www.artsdatabanken.no/ArticleList.aspx?m=6&amid=11974 |archive-date=4 June 2013 |website=Artsdatabanken |language=no |access-date=25 December 2019}}</ref>

The 2006 [[IUCN Red List]] names 3,886 Norwegian species as endangered,<ref>[http://www.artsdatabanken.no/ArticleList.aspx?m=6&amid=1831 Artsdatabanken:Norwegian Red List 2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220135417/http://www.artsdatabanken.no/ArticleList.aspx?m=6&amid=1831 |date=20 February 2007 }}</ref> 17 of which, such as the [[European beaver]], are listed because they are endangered globally, even if the population in Norway is not seen as endangered. There are 430 species of fungi on the red list, many of these are closely associated with the small remaining areas of [[old-growth forest]]s.<ref>[http://passport.panda.org/campaigns/campaign.cfm?uNC=21699454&uCampaignId=1461 Panda.org:Norway forest heritage]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> There are also 90 species of birds on the list and 25 species of [[mammal]]s. As of 2006, 1,988 current species are listed as endangered or vulnerable, of which 939 are listed as vulnerable, 734 as endangered, and 285 as critically endangered in Norway, among them the gray [[wolf]], the [[Arctic fox]] (healthy population on Svalbard), and the [[pool frog]].

The largest predator in Norwegian waters is the [[sperm whale]], and the largest fish is the [[basking shark]]. The largest predator on land is the [[polar bear]], while the [[brown bear]] is the largest predator on the Norwegian mainland, where the common [[moose]] is the largest animal.