Djuptjärnkullen

Between the villages of Svedjan and Ytter-Rissjö there is a beautiful lake in the valley between two hills. This is the Djuptjärnkullen nature reserve.

Views stretching for miles

From the flat rocks on Höverkullen mountain’s southern slope, the landscape stretches out with miles of views to the south and west. Directly below the mountain is the black, secretive Djuptjärnen lake, magically framed with sprawling old spruces and gnarled pines. In the autumn, the gloom of the coniferous forest is lit up by flashes of red and yellow from the many aspens and sallows spread out among the old conifers.

Forest characterised by fire

The forest in Djuptjärnkullen nature reserve has been ravaged by forest fires on several occasions. The most recent fire probably occurred sometime around the middle of the 19th century. You can still see traces of these fires here and there in the forest. Traces in the form of blackened wood on old rotten stumps and charred roots sticking up from fallen trees that have otherwise been completely overgrown by moss and brushwood.

At the start of the last century, the forests in Djuptjärnkullen were affected by felling. The forestry workers moved around the area, chopping down the largest timber trees. The smaller trees, the gnarled, twisted or decay-damaged, were left behind. Since then, the reserve’s forests have been allowed to develop with no appreciable human intervention. The forest has now reacquired most of the values that characterise a natural forest: old trees, dead wood, plenty of lichen.

Many rare species

An unusual number of rare species which are dependent on natural forest for their survival have been found in Djuptjärnkullen nature reserve. For example, you can find the rare little jelly lichen on the old aspens. This species is found exclusively in northern Sweden and Finland, in natural forests with plenty of aspen.

Protection and management

The purpose of establishing the Djuptjärnkullen nature reserve is to protect the area’s forests against felling operations. Above all, the forest in the reserve must be allowed to continue developing freely towards a virgin forest state. In order to benefit rare species that are dependent on forest fires, controlled conservation burning or other measures that resemble forest fires can be conducted in parts of the reserve.