The Biodiversity of Greenland – a Country Study
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The Biodiversity of Greenland – a country study Technical Report No. 55, December 2003 Pinngortitaleriffi k, Grønlands Naturinstitut Title: The Biodiversity of Greenland – a country study Editor and author of original Danish version: Dorte Bugge Jensen Updated English version edited by: Kim Diget Chri sten sen English translation: Safi-Kristine Darden Funding: The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (Dancea). The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. Series: Technical Report No. 55, December 2003 Published by: Pinngortitaleriffik, Grønlands Na tur in sti tut Front cover illustration: Maud Pedersen ISBN: 87-91214-01-7 ISSN: 1397-3657 Available from: Pinngortitaleriffik, Grønlands Naturinstitut P.O. Box 570 DK-3900 Nuuk Greenland Tel: + 299 32 10 95 Fax: + 299 32 59 57 Printing: Oddi Printing Ltd., Reykjavik, Iceland Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (Pinngortitaleriffik – Grønlands Naturinstitut) is an independent research institute under the Greenland Home Rule. The institute was founded in 1995 and provides scientific background data regarding utilisation and exploitation of living resources in Greenland. The Biodiversity of Greenland – a country study Dorte Bugge Jensen & Kim Diget Christensen (Eds.) Technical Report No. 55, December 2003 Pinngortitalerifi k, Grønlands Naturinstitut Preface In everyday life in Greenland interest in the flora and fauna centres in particular on the rela- tively few species that are exploited. The discussions in the media concentrate on even fewer species - those where restrictions on exploitation have been introduced; a total of only some 50 species. It will thus come as a surprise to most people that today we know of over 9,400 different spe- cies in Greenland. This knowledge is a direct result of the study presented in this report. But the report can also be of importance for other areas. For schoolchildren, students and others who have to work with nature in Greenland, an overall picture – unique in the Greenlandic context – of species and ecosystems has been created. In addition the bibliography opens up for further study. And as far as nature management is concerned, Greenland now has a unified basis for work- ing further for the overall protection of the total biodiversity. This is Greenland’s first step towards the fulfilment of the Convention on the Biological Diversity. The next task will be to draw up a strategy for how the total diversity of species and ecosystems can be protected. An attempt will be made to incorporate this in the legislative work of the coming years. In the longer term progress reports will be drawn up for the nature protec tion work, and these will regularly sup ple ment the knowledge collected at pre sent. Right now it is a pleasure that the country study has been completed. This gives an opper- tunity for nature protection in the future to be viewed in a far wider context than has been the case until now. Peter Nielsen Head of Department Directorate of the Environment 4 Summary This is a slightly updated translation of a report originally publish in Danish in 1999.The Greelandic country study was initiated on the basis of recommendations given in the Con- vention on Biological Diversity signed in Rio, Brazil, in 1992. The country study will form the basis for Green land’s strategy and action plan for the pre- servation and utilisation of biodiversity, which is under preparation and also function as a reference work for policy-makers, administrators, teachers and other interested par ties. It includes 17 tables and 45 maps as well as databases of certain taxonomic groups. Biodiversity is partly determined by the various physical conditions that prevail, and the ability of animals, plants and micro-organisms to spread and adapt to new con dit ions. The situation of Greenland in the arctic climatic zones (Map 1) is crucial for the physical con di- t ions to which the living organisms are exposed. The fact that almost all life in the coun try went extinct during the last ice age, and later had to re-colonise, is of great im por tan ce to the species found in the various ecosystems today. Both on the land and in the sea there are areas characterised by a relatively high primary production compared with other areas – examples are birch forests in South Greenland and areas close to the ice edge. This makes these areas attractive to a number of species that live in close association with them or visit them at particular times of the year. Other areas, for example the polar desert and salt lakes, are poorer in species and only support organisms that are specially adapted to the given physical framework. In the review of the diversity of ecosystems emphasis has been given to areas that are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. Particularly vulnerable terrestrial area include birch forests, hot springs, moulting areas for geese and calving areas for caribou and musk-ox (Maps 15, 16, 9, 11 and 13 respectively). In the coastal areas there are vulnerable areas with colonies of breeding seabirds, moulting king eiders and haul-out sites for walrus and harbour seal (Maps 19, 20, 21 and 22 respectively). During the biodiversity assessment some 9,400 species have been recorded (Table 3). This fig- ure only includes the species dealt with in the study, so the true number of species is higher. As in other regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the diversity of species decreases from the southern part of Greenland towards the more northern areas. The distribution of the species and their presence in the Greenlandic waters are conditioned by the sea currents, which de- termine the sea temperature, salinity and the extent of the sea ice. Among the most species- rich groups are marine invertebrates, limnic phytoplankton and terrestrial fungi, lichens and arthropods (Table 17, 15, 4, 5, 12 and 13 respectively). Only a few endemic species have been registered (algae, vascular plants and a single water mite). Among the birds there are a few sub-species that breed only in Greenland, but winter in other places. The utilisation of living resources is of fundamental importance to the Greenlandic economy and culture, since fishing is the main occupation, while hunting has direct or indirect sig- nificance for about 20% of the human population (Map 4). Commercial utilisation is concen- trated today on just a few species such as halibut and deep-sea shrimp (Maps 41, 42 and 43), while the hunters and private households utilise several species of sea and land mammals as well as bird and fish. A total of 25 utilised species are reviewed. An account is given of the species’ distribution, hunting methods, use of the species, the regulation of the exploitation, the catch sizes and the state of stock, including whether the utilisation is sustainable. 5 Authors Editor Jens Jacob Engelstoft: Dorte Bugge Jensen Atlantic cod (4.4.19.) Rockfish (4.4.20.) Iceland scallop (4.4.25.) Authors Jens J. Böcher: Terrestrial arthropods (2.1.6.) AnnDorte Burmeister: Arthropod (Arthropoda) diversity (3.1.5.) Primary production (2.3.2) Zooplankton (2.3.3.) Jørgen Kristiansen: Phytoplankton diversity (3.3.1.) Algal diversity (3.2.1.) Arctic char (4.4.22.) Snow crab (4.4.24.) Lone Thorbjørn: Marine invertebrate diversity (3.3.3.) Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid: Ringed seal (4.4.9.) Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen: Harbour seal (4.4.10.) Beluga whale (4.4.14.) Bearded seal (4.4.11.) Narwhal (4.4.15.) Harp seal (4.4.12.) Hooded seal (4.4.13.) Ole Folmer: Pink shrimp (4.4.23.) Christian Bay: Plant communities (2.1.4.) Per Kanneworff: Floristic provinces (2.1.5.) Atlantic salmon (4.4.21.) Vascular plant (Tracheophyta) diversity (3.1.4.) Aquatic plant (Limnophyte) diversity (3.2.2.) Pipaluk Møller Lund: Lichen diversity (3.1.2.) Christine Cuyler: Moss (Bryophyta) diversity (3.1.3.) Caribou (4.4.5.) Muskox (4.4.6.) Poul Møller Pedersen: Attached marine algae diversity (3.3.2.) Claus Simonsen: Greenland halibut (4.4.18.) Thorbjørn Borgen: Fungal diversity (3.1.1.) Dorte Bugge Jensen: Introduction to the nationwide study of Greenland (1.) Ecosystem diversity (2.) Species diversity in Greenland (3.) The following persons are thanked Protection and use of biological resources (4.) Bird (Aves) diversity (3.1.4.) for assistance in other ways: Mammal (Mammalia) diversity (3.1.7. and 3.3.5.) Anders Mosbech, Bent Muus, Carsten Hvingel, Invertebrate diversity (3.2.4.) Christian Glahder, Dany Eiby-Jacobsen, David Fish (Osteichthyes) (3.2.4. and 3.3.4.) Boertmann, Don McAllister, Dorte Ydemann Minke whale (4.4.16.) Nielsen, Frank Sonne, G. Høpner Petersen, Fin whale (4.4.17.) Helle Siegstad, Henrik Levinsen, Jean Laurialt, Jens Høeg, Jens Nyland Kristensen, Jørgen Erik W. Born: Lützen, Niel Bruce, Kirsten Ryland Nielsen, Kurt Polar bear (4.4.7.) Ockelmann, Lisbeth B. Andersen, Per Hangaard, Atlantic walrus (4.4.8.) Peter Nielsen, Reinhardt Møbjerg Kristensen and Tom Schiøtte. Flemming Ravn Merkel: Common eider (4.4.1.) King eider (4.4.2.) Thick-billed murre (4.4.3.) Arctic tern (4.4.4.) 6 Content 1. Introduction to the nationwide study of Greenland ............................................. 11 1.1. The Convention on Biological Diversity ................................................................................ 11 1.2. The nationwide study of Greenland ....................................................................................... 12 1.3. Introduction to Greenland.....................................................................................................