Heiðmörk

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Rest area in the Heiðmörk
View over the Heiðmörk to the Brennisteinsfjöll mountain range
Sign in the Heiðmörk

The Heiðmörk is a nature reserve and recreational area in the south and southwest of Iceland's capital Reykjavík . The city of Reykjavík's drinking water reservoirs are located there.

Surname

The name means forest near the plateaus (isl. Mörk "forest", heiði "heath", "plateau")

The name was given to the area in 1950 by the Icelandic linguist Sigurður Nordal , who was based on a Norwegian district name ( Hedmark ).

Geography and geology

The Heiðmörk marks the transition from the coastal strip at Reykjavík and Garðabær to the Hellisheiði and Sandheiði plateaus .

Heiðmörk is located in the middle of the rift zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and in the western (active) volcanic zone of Iceland. This explains the numerous crevices, lava fields , volcanic craters and pseudocraters that can be found in the area. The area includes lava fields that originate from the Brennisteinsfjöll volcanic system . These include the roughly 4,700 year old pseudocraters of the Rauðhólar on Lake Elliðavatn .

history

Rauðhólar and Heiðmörk pseudocraters

According to historical sources, the area was densely overgrown until the 19th century and then became deserted, not least due to overgrazing.

The Heiðmörk nature reserve was founded as such in 1950 and is largely located south and east of Lake Elliðavatn , parts of the area (near Vífilsstaðir ) belong to Garðabær . The area covered 2,500 ha in 1988, but has since been enlarged and in 2005 comprised 3,000 ha.

The area is now well developed with hiking, cycling and riding trails. Numerous, partly covered, picnic areas were created.

The municipal forest office Skógræktarfélag Reykjavíkur looks after the site and uses it for reforestation. A significant number of trees have been planted since 1950 (around 4 million by 1988), and grasses and other plants such as lupins have been sown to strengthen the soil and to combat the already considerable erosion.

The hills around Vífilsstaðir are a kind of bluish sea in June when the lupins bloom. A total of 90% of the area is now overgrown again, 20% of which with conifers and 20% with birch trees and bushes.

By 1988, 26 tree species could be established in the area. In addition, there are around 150 species of wild flowers in the Heiðmörk area and around 30 species of birds have been counted in summer.

Web links

Commons : Heiðmörk  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. HU Schmid: Dictionary Icelandic-German. Hamburg (Buske) 2001
  2. ↑ http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/plofin_heidmork.htm accessed: October 24, 2010
  3. ↑ cf. z. B. Vegahandbókin. Landmælingar Íslands. 2006, p. 506
  4. ↑ cf. Thor Thordarsson, Armann Hoskuldsson: Iceland. Classic Geology in Europe 3. Harpenden 2002, p. 55ff.
  5. ↑ Íslandshandbókin. 1. bindi. 1989, p. 24
  6. ↑ Vegahandbókin. Landmælingar Íslands. 2006, p. 506
  7. ↑ Kristbjörn Egilsson, Guðmundur Guðjónsson: Gróður í Heiðmörk. Nátturufræðistofnun. 2006  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file; 3.11 MB)@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.reykjavik.is  
  8. ↑ Íslandshandbókin. 1. bindi. 1989, p. 24

Coordinates: 64 ° 4 ′ 3 ″  N , 21 ° 45 ′ 51 ″  W.