New knowledge about nature in Longyearbyen

Longyearbyen has received two new scientific reports providing updated information about nature in the planning area.

Together with a planned habitat mapping exercise, this will strengthen the knowledge base for future land management and development.

Two recent scientific reports on the Longyearbyen planning area are now available and provide an important knowledge base for land use planning and as a general status report on the natural environment around us.

In March last year, the Longyearbyen local council issued a limited request for tenders for the preparation of land use accounts, mapping of biological diversity, and habitat mapping. The contract was awarded to the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), one of Norway's leading academic environments in applied ecological research. NINA, together with NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), visited Longyearbyen in August 2025 to carry out the fieldwork for these reports.

Biological diversity

The last time the biological diversity in Longyearbyen was mapped was in 2007, and it was high at the time of the new registration. You can read the new report here: Biological diversity of vascular plants, lichens, mosses, and fungi in the Longyearbyen planning area 2025pdf, 25 MB External link., abbreviated to the report on Biological Diversity. The Longyearbyen local government has applied for and received a grant from the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund for this report.

Area accounting

Land use accounting for ecosystems in Longyearbyenpdf, 12 MB. External link. is a new knowledge base that provides a brief systematic overview of how land is distributed across different habitat types, how it is used, and how the condition of ecosystems is developing over time. The Longyearbyen Local Council has applied for and received a grant from the Norwegian Environment Agency for this report.

Habitat mapping

We are planning to map habitat types in Longyearbyen this summer. The Longyearbyen Local Council has applied for a grant from the Norwegian Environment Agency. A response is expected by the end of April.

What is the difference between these three nature reports?

These are three different but related tools in nature management and land-use planning.

1. A survey of biological diversity involves identifying the plants, animals, and other organisms found in an area, where they live, and how common or vulnerable they are. This provides an overview of the natural values in the area and what may be important to take into account. The report on biological diversity received by the Longyearbyen local government is limited to flora. The purpose of the new survey was to update the knowledge base based on the previous report from 2007. The new report focuses in particular on:

• endangered species
• important habitats
• alien species and the threat they pose to biodiversity

2. The land use inventory provides us with a systematic overview of how much nature we have of the different types, how much has been built on or affected, and changes over time. The Longyearbyen planning area has not previously had a land use inventory, so this report is completely new to us. In the context of climate accounting, sustainability goals, and subsidy schemes, this is necessary today.

3. A nature type survey is a systematic registration and delimitation, dividing the landscape into nature types, such as tundra, wetland, river delta, or polar desert. The purpose is to describe what kind of nature exists, where it is found, and what value it has. Each habitat type has a characteristic biological diversity that is adapted to the environmental conditions that characterize the habitat type.

In short, and to simplify:

• Habitat mapping = a map of nature
• Biological diversity = who lives there
• Area accounting = accounting for what we have left

What can this be used for?

The knowledge base from mapping biological diversity, nature type mapping, and land use accounting is used to ensure that land management and community development are based on up-to-date and relevant scientific knowledge. It provides an overview of what natural values exist, how vulnerable they are, and how natural areas change over time. This is important in the work on municipal plans, zoning plans, and impact assessments, where different considerations must be weighed against each other. Overall, the knowledge base makes it possible to assess the total impact, highlight the loss of nature, and facilitate a more comprehensive and sustainable land use policy.

Who benefits from this?

The administration of a municipality (LL) benefits from the knowledge base in planning and case preparation, because it provides a professional foundation for assessments and recommendations. Elected officials use it as a basis for decision-making in land use cases, while state environmental authorities use it in their professional assessments and input. Consultants, developers, and business actors also benefit from a clear knowledge base, among other things to create predictability in planning processes. In addition, the material is important for teaching and research, as it provides systematic and location-specific knowledge about the state of nature and its development over time. Overall, this contributes to more open processes and a better balance between development and nature conservation.