Hóp-Vatnsdalur (517)
Iceland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Hóp-Vatnsdalur
Central coordinates: Latitude: 65.5167, Longitude: -20.3167
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 20
Area of KBA (km2): 161.62486
Protected area coverage (%): 0.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: An extensive complex of rivers, associated marshes/mires (Carex, Eriophorum), and grassland, 12 km south-west of the town of Blönduós. The area covers Hóp and Húnavatn and neighbouring areas, Eylendi, and along Hnausakvísl and Flódid, as well as the area to the south along Vatnsdalsá to Hof farm in the Vatnsdalur valley. Land-uses include grazing and angling.
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: The site also supports a good diversity of breeding waterbirds.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 80 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Hunting causes problems. The area is on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register. The site is an enlarged and re-named version of the IBA `Eylendid', formerly site IS037 in the previous international IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989).