Dyverdalen, Naturreservat

A few mil northwest of Orsa, this large nature reserve stretches across the northern slope of Nordsvedsberget. The forest is home to small, meandering streams and majestic old spruce trees draped with hanging lichens. No sounds of civilization reach this place, and the feeling of wilderness is palpable!
Photo: Sebastian Kirppu, Dalarna County Administrative Board.

Ancient Natural Forest

Dyverdalen features a very old and diverse forest with high natural value. For a long time, human impact on this forest has been minimal. This has created a paradise for many species of lichens, fungi, and insects that struggle to survive in the otherwise heavily managed forest landscape. Examples of species worthy of protection found in the area include Norwegian birch lichen, wrinkled lichen, and large quantities of old-growth spruce cup lichen. To support species such as these, the entire reserve is left to develop naturally.

Several large reserves in close proximity enhance the conservation value

Dyverdalen is one of several large reserves located within the region. Nearby reserves include Anjosvarden, Näcksjövarden, and Norra Mora Wilderness. The advantage of having many reserves in close proximity to one another is that they can enhance each other’s conservation value by making it easier for threatened species to find a suitable nearby location to spread to.

The slideshow above shows the lovely little waterfall found in the reserve. You can also see the abundance of hanging lichens that is typical of the forest here. String lichen dominates among the hanging lichens in such old-growth forests, including here in Dyverdalen. If there are a lot of lichens on the trees, there is just as much moss on the ground. The close-up of the beautifully green moss shows the species comb moss. Growing on the tree trunk is the light green, large-leaved Norwegian birch lichen, which is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the Red List. Under the magnifying glass, you can see the white-grained needle lichen, which is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the Red List. The small, brown, bristly thing on a tree trunk is some kind of slime mold. Or maybe it’s the hair of a little troll that got stuck in a crack in the bark. Who knows?

All photos were taken by Sebastian Kirppu, Dalarna County Administrative Board.