Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
are still considerable gaps in our knowledge and
know-how. Approaches to the technical aspects vary
considerably, and the development of special resto-
ration methods for high elevation areas is far from
suffi cient. The legal requirements and limitation to
extensive restoration methods for Arctic and alpine
landscapes also vary greatly from one country to
another. What is commonly accepted in some coun-
tries is strictly forbidden in others! Above all, despite
prohibitions and restrictions written into various
nature protection laws, the use of non-native plant
species in Arctic and alpine restoration work is often
ignored or overlooked due to lack of the knowledge
about alternatives or ability to properly identify plant
material being offered for sale or used on site. Although
permission for building projects at extreme sites is
obligatory in almost all of the countries concerned, the
protection laws are less than strictly controlled. There
is also a lack of information among the authorities
concerning what is technically possible. The drawing
up of binding guidelines for ecological restoration,
which refl ect the latest awareness of technological
advances, is urgently needed.
Changing climate
, with expected increases in tem-
peratures will seriously impact Arctic-alpine ecosys-
tems in the coming years and decades - that is certain.
However, it is unclear to what extent the affected fl ora
and fauna will be able to withstand and adapt to rapidly
changing environmental conditions. To cope with
rapid and profound changes will be one of the biggest
challenges in the coming decades, for the life forms
concerned as well as for science. Nowhere is this more
true than in the Arctic and alpine regions of the world.
APPENDIX: WEBSITES
ECONADA: Ecologically sustainable implementation of
the ' Nature Diversity Act ' (Naturmangfoldloven) for
restoration of disturbed landscapes in Norway.
http://www.bioforsk.no/ikbViewer/page/tjenester/
prosjekt?p_document_id= 86296 .
NWT seed project: Northern Native Plant Development
Collections in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
http://data.nwtresearch.com/entry.aspx?licence =
17e1fd5e - 830b - 465d - 95fa - 751b767c3e36 .
