Vegetation and invertebrates at three geothermal areas in Iceland

Abstract

The ecosystem of geothermal areas is poorly known both in Iceland and elsewhere. Information lack in general and studies that have been carried out in Iceland have mostly been descriptive. Knowledge about the ecosystem of these areas is an important consideration as these areas will be more and more important in the future, not only for energy extraction but also for recreation and conservation. A better understanding of these ecosystems is important as it may contribute to improved decisions in terms of utilization. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the distribution of vegetation and invertebrates in relation to physical and chemical parameters. Three geothermal areas in Iceland were selected for this study and the communities of vegetation and invertebrates and soil characteristics were studied along a soil temperature gradient.Results of this study indicate that soil temperature is a dominating environmental factor in explaining the distribution of different species at these sites, as well as soil characteristics. Species diversity and composition at warmer spots was different from the colder ones, but also there was a difference in pH and carbon content of the soil. Furthermore, a difference appeared among sites that are most likely due to differentlocation, elevation and weather condition.