Palynological analysis of peat cores collected near two abandoned farms in the Svalbarðstunga Valley of the Þistilfjorður region of northeastern Iceland was used to reconstruct the mid-Holocene vegetation history and to distinguish climatic and anthropogenic impacts on terrestrial ecosystems since colonization. The first site, Hjálmarvík, is located along the coast of Þistilfjorður, while Kúðá is located 12 km inland. From 6430 to ca. 4500 cal BP, shrub tundra and birch woodland dominated the landscape. Between ca. 4500 and ca. 1170 cal BP, cooler and wetter conditions favored peatland species, while birch significantly declined. From 1170 cal BP to the present, grassland and peatland were prevalent. Birch woodland had virtually disappeared from the inland regions by 5810 cal BP and from the coast by 3450 cal BP. However, isolated trees persisted in certain areas. Following the initial Norse settlement of Svalbarðstunga at about 1000 AD, the development of agriculture and sheep grazing promoted the spread of sedges and facilitated the introduction of new plant species. Ecological changes linked to the Norse landnám were more limited in Svalbarðstunga than elsewhere in Iceland, where abrupt changes such as woodland clearance and erosion have been associated with human settlement.

冰岛东北部Þistilfjorður地区Svalbarðstunga山谷两个废弃农场附近收集的泥炭芯的孢粉学分析被用来重建全新世中期的植被历史，并区分自定居以来气候和人为对陆地生态系统的影响。第一个站点Hjálmarvík位于Þistilfjorður海岸，而Kúðá位于内陆12公里。从6430到 4500 cal BP，灌木冻原和桦树林地占主导地位。之间。4500和 1170 cal BP，凉爽和湿润的条件有利于泥炭地物种，而桦木则显着下降。从1170 cal BP到现在，草原和泥炭地十分盛行。桦木林地在5810 cal BP内陆地区和3450 cal BP内陆地区几乎消失了。然而，孤立的树木在某些区域持续存在。大约在公元1000年，斯瓦尔巴·斯通加（Svalbarðstunga）在挪威首次定居之后，农业的发展和放牧绵羊的行为促进了莎草的传播，并促进了新植物物种的引进。与挪威其他地方有关的生态变化在斯瓦尔巴斯通加地区比在冰岛其他地方受到的限制要小，冰岛的林地清除和侵蚀等突变与人类住区有关。