Stabbursdalen-Nationalpark
The Stabbursdalen National Park (Norwegian: Stabbursdalen nasjonalpark ) is a national park in the north of Norway. Founded in 1970 and extended in 2002, it now includes a protected area of 747 km ². The park is located on the territory of the municipalities Porsanger and Kvalsund, in Finnmark county, bordering the Stabbursdalen nature reserve. Nearby also is the Stabbursnes Nature Reserve, stands together in these three areas, an area of around 1,000 km ² under protection. To the east of the park are the Lakselv and Porsangerfjord.
Geography, landscape and geology
The park includes the Stabbustal and the adjacent mountain range in the southeast Gáissene with the 1,139 meter high Čohkarášša. Here can be found for the Finnmark typical landscape forms: Hochfjell barren, open plateaus, narrow gorges, birch forests and sparse pine forests.
The landscape was largely shaped by the Inlandseisbewegungen during the last glaciation in the Quaternary. The 60- km long river Stabburselva was created by the meltwater streams of the former glacier. The lower part of Stabbursdalen is a plane that was created by the accumulation of gravel and sand, coming from the glaciers, and by weathering over the millennia.
Flora and Fauna
The National Park is home to the world's northernmost pine forest with 500 year old trees. For many animal species represents the Stabburstal the northernmost habitat dar.
The bird life proves to be very diverse. Thus, besides Schell ducks and geese sawyers also mountain finches and buntings dwarf. The most common bird of prey, the osprey, followed by Merlin.
The largest mammals in Stabbursdalen are moose, reindeer and wolverine.
The Stabburselva has a stable stock of salmon. For this reason, the park is very popular with sport fishermen pleased. There is also in the rivers in the national park large stocks of Arctic charr, trout and pike.
Tourism and Management
The body responsible for the Park Information Centre is the Stabbursnes Naturhus og Museum, which is simultaneously also the northernmost national park mall in Scandinavia.