Lilla Karlsö
Encyclopedia
Lilla Karlsö is a small Swedish
island in the Baltic Sea
, situated about 3 km west of Gotland
and 4.5 km from Stora Karlsö
. It has an area of about 1.6 km² and is 66 meters high. Most of the island consists of a limestone
plateau. Parts of the shoreline is bordered by steep cliffs. The island is mostly covered by alvar
. There is also some very old broadleaf forest, which is unique for Gotland. There are several caves and up to 16 meter high limestone pillars.
The island is mostly known for its rich birdlife and flora. There are colonies of several thousands pairs of Guillemot
and Razorbill
. There are also several very rare plants for Sweden such as Lactuca quercina
(called 'Karlsösallat' in Swedish
), hart's-tongue fern
and Petrorhagia prolifera.
Since 1954 the island is owned by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and it is now a nature reserve
. During summer there are tour boats from Djupvik 15 km south of Klintehamn
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
island in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, situated about 3 km west of Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
and 4.5 km from Stora Karlsö
Stora Karlsö
Stora Karlsö is a small Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, situated about 6 km west of Gotland. It has an area of about 2.5 km² and is up to 52 meters high. Most of the island consists of a limestone plateau, bordered by steep cliffs along the shore...
. It has an area of about 1.6 km² and is 66 meters high. Most of the island consists of a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
plateau. Parts of the shoreline is bordered by steep cliffs. The island is mostly covered by alvar
Alvar
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse vegetation. It is also known as a pavement barren although this term is also used for similar landforms based on sandstone. In the United Kingdom the exposed landform is called a limestone...
. There is also some very old broadleaf forest, which is unique for Gotland. There are several caves and up to 16 meter high limestone pillars.
The island is mostly known for its rich birdlife and flora. There are colonies of several thousands pairs of Guillemot
Common Guillemot
The Common Murre or Common Guillemot is a large auk. It is also known as the Thin-billed Murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North-Atlantic and North Pacific...
and Razorbill
Razorbill
The Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed...
. There are also several very rare plants for Sweden such as Lactuca quercina
Lactuca
Lactuca, commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae. The genus includes about 100 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia....
(called 'Karlsösallat' in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
), hart's-tongue fern
Hart's-tongue fern
Asplenium scolopendrium, Hart's-tongue Fern is a fern in the genus Asplenium, of the Northern Hemisphere.-Distribution:...
and Petrorhagia prolifera.
Since 1954 the island is owned by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and it is now a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
. During summer there are tour boats from Djupvik 15 km south of Klintehamn
Klintehamn
Klintehamn is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 1,407 inhabitants in 2005....
.