Wild Collection and Cultivation of Native Species in Iceland

C. W. Whitney1,2,*, J. Gebauer1, M. Anderson3

1 Faculty of Life Sciences, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Marie-Curie-Straße 1, 47533 Kleve, Germany

2 PhD Candidate, University Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany *contact: cory.whitney@hsrw.eu, +49 2821 80673 +664

3 Partridge Chair, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States  

Introduction  

•  Iceland is an important ‘cold spot’ of biodiversity (Kassam 2008)

•  Disturbed from landnám (Íslendingabókar and Landnámabók) (Benediktsson 1968)

•  Soil degradation & basalt deserts (Arnalds & Gisladottir 2000)

•  Conservation-minded Icelanders with sustainable use of native species

Research Aims

Describe the ethnobotany of Iceland

•  Determine the extent, composition and function of uses of plants, as well as fungi and marine algae, in the region

•  Determine the associated conservation practices of plant, fungi and marine algae uses

Materials & Methods  •  Fieldwork summer of

2010 with 67 informants in Iceland

•  Surveys with chefs, Organic farmers, gardeners, and herbalists sought through botanical, horticultural, and other networks

•  Observation, walk-in-the-woods, freelisting Where NC=number of use

categories, u=uses, i=informant, and N=total number of informants

View From Dettifoss Typical Icelandic Landscape  

Results  Ethnobotany of 91 species

URs in quantitative ethnobotany analysis cultural importance index (Tardio & Pardo-de-Santayana 2008)  

Table 1. Descriptive Statistics for Quantitative Ethnobotany Scores on 91 Species in Iceland

D=standard deviation, VAR=variance, CV=coefficient of variation NU=number of uses, FC=frequency of citation, UR=use reports, CI=cultural importance.

NU FC UR CI index

Total 90 420 527 7.99

Mean 4 20 25 0.38

Min 1 8 10 0.15

Max 10 42 66 1.00

SD 2.19 11.16 15.69 0.24

CV 0.51 0.56 0.63 0.63

VAR 5 125 246 0.06

1

Where NC=number of use categories, u=uses, i=informant,

and N=total number of informants

Angelica sp.  

Betula sp.  

Cetraria islandica  

Leccinum scabrum  

Ascophyllum nodosum  

Discussion & Conclusions  

•  Respondents using living natural resources in a landscape with greatly diminished biodiversity

•  Outstanding species to serve as cultural keystones in conservation efforts

•  Edibility and nutrition paramount for cultural significance

•  Use of native plants, fungi, and marine algae raises awareness of local ecology / supports conservation efforts e.g. in situ and political action to both conserve and utilize native species

Future Research  

•  The role that Icelanders play in the conservation of native species to guide local food and conservation movements

•  Determine the socio-economic and influences on CI index scores / exact biodiversity implications of native species uses

•  Analysis of the ecological distribution of utilized species / time and volume of harvest

Acknowledgements   Financial support of the Partridge Foundation through the Trans Atlantic Partnership with the Organic Centre in the UK, College of the Atlantic in the US, and the University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, in Germany.

Special thanks to the many chefs, gardeners, and farmers of Iceland, especially of Egilsstaðir Organic Farm as well as the Horticultural Society of Iceland, Rekyavik Botanical Garden, Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Icelandic Horticultural College, Iceland Slow Food, New Nordic Kitchen, Iceland Food Not Bombs, Náttúran.is, and Vottunarstofan Tún.  

Literature  1.  Kassam, K. A. Diversity as if Nature and Culture Matter:

Bio-Cultural Diversity and Indigenous Peoples. The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities & Nations, 8(2) (2008).

2.  Benediktsson, J. Íslendingabók. Landnámabók, Íslenzk Fornrit 1 (Hid Íslenzka Fornritafélag, Reykjavík, 1968).

3.  Arnalds, O. & Gisladottir, F. O. S., H. Sandy deserts of Iceland: An overview. Journal of Arid Environments 47, 359-371 (2000).

4.  Tardio, J., & Pardo-de-Santayana, M. Cultural importance indices: A comparative analysis based on the useful wild plants of Southern Cantabria (Northern Spain). Economic Botany 62, 24-39 (2008).