Are we moving in the right direction?

One way of measuring whether protected areas make up a representative selection of Norwegian nature is to look at how they are split between the six main vegetation zones into which Norway is divided.

The proportion of protected areas varies widely from one vegetation zone to another. By far the highest proportion is protected in mountainous areas (the alpine zone). Here, a third of the total area is protected. In contrast, onlyu 2-4 per cent of the low-lying parts of the country where the vegetation requires a warmer climate (the nemoral, boreo-nemoral and southern boreal zones) is protected.

New protected areas have been established in all six vegetation zones since 1995, but mainly in the mountains and uplands. In the same period, there was only a modest rise in the areas protected in the zones with a warmer climate. The protection plans that are currently being implemented will not alter the proportions of the different vegetation zones that are protected.