South Spitsbergen National Park (3193)
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway), Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2014
National site name: Sør-Spitsbergen Nasjonalpark
Central coordinates: Latitude: 77.1187, Longitude: 16.1760
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1205
Area of KBA (km2): 13235.86142
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: An area of high-Arctic tundra. The Bird Sanctuaries within the National Park are islands and islets with grassy vegetation, freshwater ponds and bare areas. A Polish research station is situated in the southern part of the park.
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: Sea cliffs at Stellingfjellet and Kovalskifjella (both on the east coast of Torrell Land) and at Sofiekammen (Gnalberget; facing Hornsund) hold important seabird colonies, while the Bird Sanctuaries are important breeding and moulting areas for Branta leucopsis and Somateria mollissima.
Delineation rationale: Adopted from an official polygon for a protected area.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 95 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No threats are known.