Editing Alvar (section)

==European alvar locations==
*[[Sweden]]
**[[Öland]]&nbsp;– [[Stora Alvaret]]&nbsp;– largest alvar extent in Europe
**[[Gotland]]
**[[Västergötland]]&nbsp;– several locations on limestone mountain [[Kinnekulle]], smaller fragments on [[Falbygden]], e.g. in Dala and Högstena parishes
*[[Estonia]]
** Alvars are distributed along the whole northern coast of Estonia from approx. the town of [[Paldiski]] to [[Sillamäe]], wherever limestone comes to the surface near the seashore (see [[Baltic Klint]]), as well as on the islands of the [[West Estonian archipelago]]. Estonia used to be home to approximately one third of the world's alvars; however, the total area of alvars has decreased from 43,000 [[hectare]]s in the 1930s to 12,000 hectares in 2000, and approximately 9,000 hectares in 2010.<ref name="sümbolmaastik">{{cite news |first=Ulvar |last=Käärt |url=http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/586375 |title=Meie sümbolmaastik loopealsed on hävimas |language=et |newspaper=[[Eesti Päevaleht]] |date=1 November 2010 |access-date=13 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122102356/http://epl.ee/artikkel/586375 |archive-date=22 November 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Estonian alvars are home to 267 [[species]] of [[vascular plant]]s, approximately one fifth of which are protected. There are also 142 species of [[bryophyte]]s and 263 species of [[lichen]]s.<ref name="sümbolmaastik"/> The [[Government of the Republic of Estonia|Estonian government]] has committed itself to protect at least 9,800 hectares of the country's alvars as part of the [[Natura 2000]] network.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kadri |last=Ratt |url=http://www.postimees.ee/?id=341612 |title=Haruldased loopealsed on hävinemas |newspaper=[[Postimees]] |language=et |date=14 November 2010 |access-date=13 December 2016}}</ref> The [[Loopealse]] subdistrict of [[Tallinn]] is named after alvar.
**[[Vardi Nature Reserve]] in [[Rapla County]] is an Estonian nature reserve especially designated to protect one of the more representative alvar areas of Estonia.
*[[England]]
**[[Cumbria]] and North [[Yorkshire]] – under protection in the UK [[Biodiversity Action Plan]]
*[[Ireland]]
**[[The Burren]], a large alvar in northwest [[County Clare]]

<gallery>
Sarve loopealne Hiiumaal.jpg|Sarve alvar in [[Hiiumaa]] island
Väike-Pakri loopealsel.jpg|Alvar in [[Väike-Pakri]] island
Österplana hed vegetation.jpg|Sparse vegetation, [[Kinnekulle]], [[Sweden]]
Limestone pavement above Malham Cove.jpg|Limestone pavement at [[Malham Cove]], UK
</gallery>