Nomination of

SURTSEY – NOMINATION FOR THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
Shore community on the northern coast of Surtsey,
composed of sea sandwort, lyme grass, oyster plant
and sea rocket. (Photo: Borgþór Magnússon 2005).
the surface layer (0–20 mm) that were collected at
21 localities in July 1972. No soil- or freshwaterinhabiting
aquatic fungi were found on Surtsey
between 1964 and 1972, when their possible
presence was being monitored by T. W. Johnson
together with his students and co-workers.
The first mushroom, Arrhenia rustica, was
found in several places in 1975, growing among
mosses. In 1990 it was common in the bird colony
(Sturla Friðriksson 2005). A second agaric
species was collected once in 1975, an unidentified
Galerina sp. In June 1990 three discomycetes
were collected, Peziza varia growing along the
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concrete foundation of the hut, Lamprospora
crouanii growing amongst low moss on sloping
palagonite tuff at Strompur, and Octospora
auxillaris growing on sand amongst Bryum near a
fish bone. In 1994 the feather stalkball Onygena
corvina grew on feathers from a regurgitated bird
pellet. In the last ten years a Panaeolus sp. has
been found among grasses in the bird colony and
recently the silky pinkgill Entoloma sericeum was
added to that community. In 2005 two agarics,
mycorrhizal partners of the tea-leaved willow had
produced fruiting bodies around the plant.
Studies in 1996 on the microbial activity in
three different soils (Frederiksen et al. 2000)
showed that there were few fungal hyphae in
bare soil, a medium number in areas with shore
community, while by far the most hyphae were
measured in the soils of the gull colony.
Vegetation
Plants have dispersed and become established in
all parts of Surtsey. The only sections of the island
which remain mostly devoid of plant life are the
steep palagonite hills in the middle of the island.
However, the plant cover is still relatively thin,
except at the gull colony on the southern lava
plain (Fig. 2.12), where dense and rather diverse
vegetation has developed over the last 20 years.
In 2004, vegetation analyses of the permanent
Lava community on southern Surtsey. Procumbent pearlwort, reflexed saltmarsh-grass and scurvygrass are the most
prominent species in this community. (Photo: Borgþór Magnússon 2004).