Fröstorp, Naturreservat

The nature reserve contains interesting geological remains such as beach ridges and embankments. The remains testify to periods when meltwater from the ice sheet formed earlier stages of the Baltic Sea.

Mighty ridge

The reserve is located on Nybroåsen, southeast Sweden's largest glacial river formation. The ridge was formed during the last ice age. When the ice melted, ice rivers flowed through tunnels and cracks. The meltwater brought with it stones, gravel and sand. As the water approached the ice edge, its velocity slowed and the material fell to the bottom, forming ridges.

Below the surface

The melting of the ice sheet formed the Baltic Ice Lake, the oldest stage in the development of the Baltic Sea. The level at which the ice lake reached its highest point is called the highest coastline. Here in the reserve, we are below the highest coastline, which means that the area was once covered by water.

Notches and embankments

The sea level of the ice lake gradually lowered and the ridge began to rise above the waterline. Waves broke against the slopes of the ridge. In steep parts of the ridge slope there is a beach notch, an incision formed where the waves have carried away stones and soil. Both above and below the beach notch are embankments. These have been formed by the accumulation of material along the coastline, a coastline whose level has varied during the different stages of the Baltic Sea.

The nature of the ridge

There is a marked path in the reserve. You walk through sparse pine forest, where the ground is dominated by heather, lingonberry and various lichens. Here and there, there is also a lot of lingonberry. It is a rice similar to lingonberry but the leaves do not have folded edges and the flowers look like small urns, not bells.

Traces in nature

Up on the ridge in the north-east you pass several burial grounds. The remains show that the ridges were important as burial sites in the past. The ridges were also used as roads.