What is it about?
The paper provides a statistical (how much) and geographical (where) description of the vegetation in Norway. These data are obtained using a sample survey. Approximately 1100 small (0,9 km2) plots distributed all over Norway where mapped in the field. Together, these maps provide a statistical sample of the national land cover and can be used to compute fairly accurate land cover statistics.
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Why is it important?
This is the first unbiased national vegetation and land cover survey of Norway. The statistics provides new knowledge about the amount and geographical distribution of main vegetation types in the country. As an example, the study shows that mire and peat bog is considerably more common in Norway than previously thought. For readers taking an interest in the physical geography of Norway, this paper provides new facts. For other readers, the paper demonstrates how a sampling approach is a cost-efficient approach for national survey and monitoring programs addressing land cover and vegetation issues.
Perspectives
The study shows that vegetation and land cover can be described reasonably well using a sampling approach combined with field mapping, even for large areas like an entire country. By doing the survey in the field, inaccuracies and bias inherent in remote sensing (using satellite or airborne imagery) is avoided. This is a cost-efficient approach for national (and regional) survey and monitoring programs addressing land cover and vegetation issues.
Geir-Harald Strand
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Land cover in Norway based on an area frame survey of vegetation types, Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography, May 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/00291951.2018.1468356.
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