Ödesdovra, Naturreservat

The nature reserve protects two species-rich forest areas close to the small village of Ödesdovra. The soil is rich in lime and many discerning fungi thrive here, along with a number of herbs and mosses that find it difficult to survive in today's rationally managed forest landscape.

Many dead spruces - restoration in progress

In the area, the spruce bark beetle has caused the death of many spruces. Avoid walking in the forest in strong winds. In the pasture, we are currently removing dead spruces so that the animals can graze again. Do not enter the pasture while work is in progress!

We hope you will forgive the fact that it may look messy in the reserve for a while.

Varied old-growth forest

The reserve is dominated by an old coniferous forest with mainly spruce, but there are also pine and deciduous trees such as birch and aspen. Among the shrubs we find hazel and woodruff. The terrain is hilly and there are plenty of boulders in the area. The old-growth forest and the varied environment together create a diversity of habitats for different plants and animals. A number of demanding fungi, mosses and lichens also thrive here. Wadding, wool tick and wood moss are some examples. Among the birds we find, for example, goshawks and greenfinches.

Calcareous soil

Ödesdovra is located in a region with ancient limestone in the bedrock.

A species-rich fungal flora is typical of limestone-rich old forests. As many as 87 different species of fungi have been found in the reserve. The spotted mushroom and the striped waxcap are some examples. Both of these species have fewer than ten known locations in the county. Among the herbs we also find many species favoring lime, such as black witch hazel, ostrich fern, cornflower and goldenrod.

Grazed forest

In the past, much of the livestock was often allowed to graze freely in the forest. Grazing shaped the forest into a semi-open and very species-rich environment, a type of forest that has now almost completely disappeared in our country. In the 20th century, grazing stopped and the forests grew back. Since 2018, cows are once again grazing in parts of the forest in Ödesdovra. Here and there are traces of old-time logging, where individual trees were felled to be used for firewood or timber.