MOSAIC

The ice melts

The last ice age ended about 14,500 years ago and the coastal areas became ice free. It was still cold, similar to the climate we see today in Svalbard. 11,500 years ago the temperature rose rapidly and the glaciers receded inland.

Storegga avalanche
Meltwater from the large glaciers brought enormous amounts of sediment into the sea, where it settled in layers. 8,150 years ago the layers of deposited sediment collapsed and a large tsunami hit the coast.

Wetland systems in the fjords

Many animals, birds and plants are dependent on intact wetlands for all or part of their lives. Coastal estuaries typically occur where rivers flow into narrow fjords with a gradual transition between the river and the sea.

The tidal shift between ebb and flow creates nutritious areas for wading birds. Here we can find different bird species like the Gray Heron, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Eurasian Rock Pipit and Redshank to name a few.

Biodiversity in the forest

Access to food is crucial for the prevalence of plants, animals and birds. In mixed forests, which here grow in south-facing hillsides, there is good access to food for many species.

Sunnmøre is on the northern boundary of the range of the common yew. Mixed forests with hazel provide good conditions for squirrels,mice, nuthatch and jays, species which live on nuts and seeds.

Collecting resources from mountain pastures and uncultivated land

In traditional agriculture, the livestock grazed the hillsides and uncultivated lands away from the farm during the summer months. Mountain dairy farms played a key role during this time.

In the winter, the livestock was fed hay, lichen, moss and seaweed. Leaves from broadleaf trees were sprinkled in their sheds. The fodder resources from pastures and uncultivated land remained important until the farms changed from growing crops to grass on their cultivated land. This happened during the 1950s.

The brown bear disappears from western Norway

During the first part of the 19th century, approximately 200 bears a year were culled in Norway. In 1846, 29 bears were shot in Møre og Romsdal alone.

The last bear in western Norway was shot in 1924. Since then, there have been only sporadic sightings of bears.

Owls

In Norway, there are 10 species of nesting owls. The Eurasian Pygmy Owl is the smallest and the Eagle Owl is the largest.

Diurnal owls in our area are the Hawk Owl, Short-Eared Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl. The Tawny Owl, Boreal Owl, Long-Eared Owl and Eagle Owl are nocturnal. In the time between sunset and nightfall, the nocturnal owls call. This time is sometimes referred to as the “owl hour”.

Black Grouse and Capercaillie in decline

In Norway, the populations of Capercaillie and Black Grouse traditionally grew and declined in correlation with the varying populations of rodents and predators. Nonetheless, there has been a decline in the numbers of both Black Grouse and Capercaillie since the 1960s.

Human activity is much to blame for this decline, in particular modern intensive logging, which destroys the birds’ habitats, and a change in land usage.

Large predators – conflict and responsibility

Lynx, wolverine, brown bear and wolf are the largest carnivores living in mainland Norway. The Golden Eagle is our second-largest bird of prey. They all prey on livestock and this creates conflict.

Research has given us knowledge about the relationship between predator and prey and an understanding that predators play a key role in nature and its ecosystems. It is our responsibility to protect them.

Wolf shot 5th of June 2014

The one-year old wolf shot in Sykkylven in 2014 came from a wolf territory in Sweden 600 km away.

The wolf was the offspring of a Finnish-Russian pair of wolves and had important genes to reduce inbreeding in the Scandinavian wolf population. During its travel from Sweden to Sykkylven, it killed at least 18 sheep and lambs. It was shot on a government licence.

Immense challenges for mountain species

There are few species of plants, birds and mammals which are able to adapt to the harsh environment of the mountains. The nutrient-poor gneiss rock and extreme climate conditions are a challenge to all life forms. In areas with mica and slate, the earth has more nutrients and hence biodiversity increases.

Photo: Kristin Støylen