Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1958, Page 35

NÁTTÚRUFRÆÐÍNGURINN
89
Schaaning, H. Thv. L. 1933. A contribution to thc Bird Fauna of Jan Mayen.
Skr. um Svalbard og Ishavet. Nr. 49. Oslo.
Tyrrell, G. W. 1926. The Petrography of Jan Mayen. Trans. Royal Soc. of
Edinburgh. Vol. LIV. 7dinburgh.
Wordie, J. M. 1926. The Geology of Jan Mayen. Ibid. Vol. LIV. Edinburgh.
Þorsteinsson, Þorsteinn. 1913. Jan Mayen. Skírnir 87. ár. Reykjavík.
SUMMARY
Jan Mayen
by Steindór Steindórsson
The Sccondary Grammar School, Akureyri.
In the paper a sliort trip to tlie arctic island of Jan Mayen is referred. The
trip was made in June 1957.
Part I. is a brief account of the physical geography of the island togetlier with
some historical data.
Part II. deals witli the vegetation of thc island and is mainly based on the
author’s observations.
In the floralists referred to in the bibliography 43 species of phanerogams and
higher cryptogams are mentioned as found in the island, whereof the author
found 32 species. Of these 43 species three species and at least one variety
are lacking in Iceland. The poverty ol thc flora is without doubt caused by
the isolation of the island.
The vegetation is very scattered, as a continuous carpet of higher plants is
almost entirely lacking, except in small spots in close vicinity of the bird cliffs,
and each single spot rarely exceeds 50 to 100 square metres. On the other hand
the Rhacomitrium makes wide continuous heaths.
Tiie vegetation is so poor and scattered because of tlie unfavourable climate,
the lack of groundwater, the solifluction and the sanddrift.
As the vegetation is so scattered, and as the same species occur in almost
every formation, there are hardly any communities of the higher plants in
the usual sense.
According to the habitats and conditions six plant-formations have been
distinguished. Tliese are as follows: a Gravelly flats — melur, b Sand — sandur,
c Lavafield — hraun, d Snowpatches — snjódœldir, e Rhacomitrium-heath —
mosaþemba, f Grassland — graslendi. In the tables I—IV there are listed the
plants found in gravelly flats I, sand II, Rhacomitrium-heath III and grass-
land IV.
In the floralist Tafla V the plants observed in the island by the author are
listed.