Talk:Highlands of Iceland

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How is the vegetation more sensitive than in other northern areas, like the north of Canada or Siberia, where persons can travel at will? --Rnbc 00:44, 2005 Jan 3 (UTC)

It's fragile because is so little of it, the highlands are mostly just sandy deserts in which vegetation grows really slowly, if it is damaged by tire tracks they will often be visible for several years afterwards and may trigger wind erosion in the area. --Biekko 05:59, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

So basicaly the soil is permafrost and the vegetation something similar to the other northern and southern tundras, right? Tire tracks and even footprints can stand for years, that's correct, and sometimes they spread into large erosion areas, but since few persons are willing to travel there anyway there seems to be little concern about those effects in most places, since they tend to be limited... Would the effects be more severe in Iceland or is it due to a very ecologically-aware population? --Rnbc 23:51, 2005 Jan 3 (UTC)

Actually the soil isn't permafrost in Iceland, the climate is much milder than in arctic Canada or Siberia and not cold enough to support that. I am no expert on why the conditions are as they are on the higlands and I have been trying to dig up a decent explanation for this online with little success so far. --Biekko 03:04, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Part of it is simply the ratio of visitors (especially tourists) to land area. Canada is absolutely gigantic compared to Iceland. --Delirium 07:50, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

Also, take into account how young the soil in Iceland is geologically. Because the land is new, it has not had as much time to form thick topsoil, like has happened in Canada and the other places mentioned. — Arzachel 01:25, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Maroon

Sorry for this newb question, but why are all the links in the article maroon? I can't figure it out. — Arzachel 01:28, 11 May 2007 (UTCITY)