Inner parts of Kongsfjorden (3190)
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway), Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Indre Kongsfjorden
Central coordinates: Latitude: 78.9340, Longitude: 12.2247
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 200
Area of KBA (km2): 112.90449
Protected area coverage (%): 25.26
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site comprises about ten islands, most with grassy vegetation and some with small freshwater ponds. The fjord is surrounded by steep mountains and cliffs, glaciers and some tundra.
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: The islands and the mainland tundra are relatively species-rich and support at least nine of the 32 species that are restricted in Europe (when breeding) to the Arctic/tundra biome. The first and only instance of Pluvialis fulva breeding in the West Palearctic was recorded at Ny ålesund in 1997 (under consideration by the Norwegian Rarities Committee).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (90%) | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Grassland | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A growing population of reindeer Rangifer tarandus may have overgrazed the tundra, possibly reducing the number of suitable nest-sites for some waders (e.g. Phalaropus fulicarius, which has declined in number from about 20 pairs to only 2-3 pairs in recent years). The IBA is covered by an `Area of Plant Protection' (1,140 ha). Population studies (including regular censuses) of Branta leucopsis and several seabirds are carried out by the University of Tromsø, the University of Norway at Svalbard (Longyearbyen) and the Norwegian Polar Institute.