Northeast Svalbard Nature Reserve (3192)
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway), Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Nordaust-Svalbard naturreservat
Central coordinates: Latitude: 79.7333, Longitude: 23.6667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 620
Area of KBA (km2): 56988.87711
Protected area coverage (%): 97.32
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Nature Reserve covers all of the islands of Nordaustlandet, Kvitøya and Kong Karls Land, as well as the north-east coast of Spitsbergen. Habitats are mainly ice-covered tundra and marsh vegetation; the sea cliffs are the most important habitat for birds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Uria lomvia breeds in notable numbers on sea cliffs at Alkefjellet (45,000-50,000 birds) and at Wahlbergøya (8,000 birds).
Delineation rationale: Adopted from an official polygon for a protected area.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Grassland | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Public access to the islands of Kong Karls Land is prohibited year-round, due to the presence of polar bear Ursus maritimus.