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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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LAKE VÄNERN ARCHIPELAGO |
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| General Description |
The biosphere reserve comprises part of the Lake Vänern drainage basin. Lake Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden and the third largest lake in Europe. In the western part of the area is Hindens rev, a long glacial moraine that stretches 5 km into the lake. Hindens rev is part of the so called middle Swedish ice marginal zone, resulting from the receding inland ice 10,000 years ago. In the central parts of the biosphere reserve is Mount Kinnekulle, Västergötland’s highest plateau mountain, and Mount Lugnåsberget, one of the smallest plateau mountains in the county. The area also includes boulderridges and sand-ridges. South-west of Mount Kinnekulle is the only species-rich highly calcareous fen outside the lime-rich area, the so called Skebykärret. The area south and south-west of the plateau mountains consists of relatively flat cultural landscape, dominated by agriculture. Large areas of contiguous forest occur in the archipelago as well as in the southern and eastern parts of the area. Along the 350 km long Lake Vänern coast there are a number of sites with reed areas and rich birdlife. The largest contiguous reed area is found at Lake Dättern in the south-western part of the area. The islands and skerries in the archipelago include extensive sandy beaches and dunes, rocks, flat-rock pine forest and bilberry spruce forest. Torsö, the largest island in Lake Vänern, is home to a wetland area. The area includes five rivers of which the two largest, Tidan and Lidan discharge in Lake Vänern at the two largest population centres Lidköping and Mariestad. The three smaller rivers, Friaån, Sjöråsån and Mariedalsån run through the agricultural landscape before discharging in Lake Vänern. There are almost 60 000 people living in the biosphere reserve. The transition area is the most densely populated area within the biosphere reserve, where a little over 50 000 people lives. The transition area incorporates the city centres of Götene, Lidköping and Mariestad. Lidköping and Mariestad are located on the shores of Lake Vänern, while Götene is situated along the European Route E20. Core areas include national park, nature reserves, Natura 2000 sites and forest habitat protection areas. The buffer zones consist of areas of national interest for the purpose of nature conservation, areas of national interest for the purpose of culture heritage conservation, Ramsar site, nature conservation areas, forest with nature conservation agreements, fish protection areas and protected shores. The transition area includes other land. The core areas are mainly surrounded by buffer zones which in turn are surrounded by transition area. |
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| Major ecosystem type |
Microhabitats in the cultivated landscape Rocky shores / flat-rock pine forest Reed bays Rapids, river ravines and spawning grounds Old-growth forest Seasonally inundated grassland Wet forests (Shoreline alder forests, alder carrs and wet pine forest) Bird skerries Limestone pavement (alvar) Broadleaf forest Oak pastures Rich fens Meadows Natural pastures |
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| Major habitats & land cover types |
Lakes and running water Wetlands Coastal ecosystems Forests Arable land Built-up areas |
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| Location |
Biosphere Reserve central point: In Lake Vänern 58°43’44’’ N, 13°19’16’’ E Biosphere Reserve – external limits: Northern limit: 59°03’33’’ N, 13°35’28’’ E Eastern limit: 58°53’29’’ N, 14°01’00’’ E Southern limit: 58°23’22’’ N, 12°41’41’’ E Western limit: 58°24’48’’ N, 12°38’47’’ E |
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| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 278,600 | |||
| Core area(s) | 16 281 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 40 876 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 221 443 | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | 44 metres | |||
| Year designated | 2010 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Götene Municipality, Lidköping Municipality, and Mariestad Municipality | |||
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| Brief description |
Research: Fossil meteorites on Mount kinnekulle, Freshwater phytoplankton, Fish catches and history/fish genetic structure, Chinese mitten crab – an alien species, Landscape, farmers and their actions, Entrepreneurship within agricultural conservation, Dynamic growth capital, Preservation of shiprecks, Antiquarian survey, outdoor recreation in change. Environmental monitoring: Air pollution, Bottom sediments in Lake Vänern, Inventory of lakes and watercourses, Water chemistry monitoring, Monitoring of groundwater sources, Air and precipitation chemistry, Pasture land flora, Catch statistics for fisheries, Inventory of bird skerries, Quantification of pelagic fish abundance, Tagging of salmon and brown trout, Monitoring of bottom sediments, Monitoring of zooplankton and phytoplankton, Forest damage survey, Bird serveys, Monitoring of environmental pollutants and metals in perch and pike, Environmental reporting. |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Abiotic factors, acidic deposition/acid rain, air quality, air temperature, climate, contaminants, erosion, geology, geomorphology, global change, groundwater, habitat, heavy metals, hydrology, indicators, monitoring/methodologies, nutrients, pollution, pollutants, siltation/sedimentation, soil, topography. | |||
| Biodiversity | Algae, alien/invasive/exotic/introduced species, amphibians, autoecology/synecology, biodiversity, biogeography, biology, birds, boreal forest, breeding/reproduction, coastal/marine, community studies/communities, conservation, ecology, ecosystem assessment, fauna, fishes, flora, forest systems, freshwater/inland water, home gardens, invertebrates/insects/spiders, mammals, monitoring/methodologies, mountain and highland systems, natural resources, plants, rare/endangered/threatened species, reintroduction, reptiles, restoration/rehabilitation/redevelopment, species inventorying/inventory, wetlands, wildlife. | |||
| Socio-economic | Agriculture/Production systems, archaeology/paleontology, capacity building, economically important species, energy production systems/alternative energy, fishery/fisheries, forestry, human health, livestock and related impacts/overgrazing, local participation, mining, modelling, people-nature relations/man/nature, recreation, stakeholders' interests, tourism, traditional practices/ethnology/traditional knowledge, transport. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Education and public awareness, environmental change, geographic information system/gis, infrastructure, landscape inventorying/monitoring, management issues, planning and zoning measures/zonation, remote sensing, rural systems, sustainable development/sustainable use, urban systems/towns/cities, watershed studies/monitoring. | |||
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| Contact address |
Biosfärområde Vänerskärgården med Kinnekulle Biosfärkontoret, Magasingatan 4 SE 542 86 Mariestads kommun Sweden |
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| Web site | www.vanerkulle.se | |||
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n.a. | |||
| Last updated: 6/18/2010 |
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