ARCUS 14th Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum 2002

Biocomplexity of Marine and Terrestrial Environments and Human Populations in Iceland

Astrid Ogilvie^1
1Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1560 30th Street, Campus Box 450, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA, Phone 303-492-6072, Fax 303-492-6388, ogilvie@spot.colorado.edu

The research described in this talk may be seen in the context of current concerns regarding potential future global and Arctic changes, the crisis in the world's fisheries, and issues regarding land-use and continuing erosion of land surfaces in Iceland. Possible future climate and environmental changes may radically affect the lives of those living in the Arctic. The consequences of such changes cannot be predicted and understood if there is no knowledge and understanding of the past and present. This talk will focus on present and historical dynamics of linkages and interactions between human populations and the biological and physical environment of Iceland. Both terrestrial and marine components will be considered. From the time of the earliest settlers to the late-nineteenth century, the most important economic activity in Iceland has been farming. Because of the unsuitability of the climate for extensive grain-growing, this was based on animal husbandry. The most important livestock animals in Iceland have been sheep, cattle and horses, and the most important crop has been the grass and hay on which these animals depended for food. In the past, lack of food for the livestock could ultimately lead to deaths from hunger, and malnutrition-related diseases among humans. Land-use activity, in particular sheep grazing, has been a major contributory factor to soil erosion, a serious concern in Iceland. The rate of erosion increased greatly through the eighteenth century and reached a maximum during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this period, numerous farms were abandoned, especially in southern and northeastern Iceland. Fishing developed rapidly as a major industry in the nineteenth century. Early in the twentieth century, fishers and boat owners gradually replaced the landed elite as the economy shifted from a somewhat stagnant agriculture to expansive fishing. The twentieth century has seen great changes in fisheries catches, partly at least as a consequence of environmental changes. Although Iceland as a whole is considered here, two specific locations are analyzed more closely. These are the Myvatn area in the northeast of Iceland, a community based primarily on land-use, and the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) located off the south of Iceland, mainly a fishing community. Developments and adaptive strategies in these communities are considered in the context of: climate variations in Iceland during the twentieth century and earlier; records of hay yield and farm stocking strategies; and fisheries records. Although the research described in this presentation will focus on the present and immediate past, possible future changes are also considered.

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