Jæren (3171)
Norway, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Jæren
Central coordinates: Latitude: 58.8167, Longitude: 5.5667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 478.90704
Protected area coverage (%): 39.69
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Jæren is one of the main agricultural districts in Norway, lying west and south of the city of Stavanger. The area is defined as the rectangle from Lake Søylandsvatn and Lake Lonavatn in the south (c.5 km apart), stretching about 27 km northwards to Hafrsfjord. The landscape is gently undulating, and the site includes several lakes, sand-dune shores, stone/boulder beaches and some shallow sea. The lakes have a rich aquatic vegetation.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: This is the core breeding area for Crex crex in Norway, and one of the most important wintering and staging areas for inland waterbirds in Norway, with more than 10,000 occurring in winter. Notable wintering species include Gavia stellata (25), G. arctica (6), G. immer (20), G. adamsii (occasional) and Podiceps grisegena (110).
Delineation rationale: The coastal boundary is adopted from an official polygon for a Protected Area, but the inner boundary has been estimated in Google Earth.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 25 | |
| Marine Neritic | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The lakes are nutrient-rich, but this is mainly due to agricultural pollution, which has accelerated vegetational succession and which causes blooms of toxic algae. The Grudevatn and Jærstrendene protected areas form part of the existing Ramsar Site. All the other Nature Reserves have been newly designated, and all of them (except Heigremyra) have been proposed for incorporation into the existing Ramsar Site or for designation as new, individual Ramsar Sites.