Tofta, Naturreservat

Tofta is a forest reserve north of Hässleholm. Here, older beech forest is interspersed with coniferous swamp forest. The area is hilly and crossed by two gravel ridges, known as goat ridges. Stone walls, clearing cairns and snapphane holes are reminders of the people from the past. There is a small parking lot in the southeast. There are no other outdoor facilities, but you can roam freely in this magical forest.
Photo: Johan Johnmark

Goat ridges in a forest environment

The Tofta nature reserve is located 8 kilometers east of Bjärnum in a landscape with alternating forest and open land. Beech forest grows in the northern and southern parts of the reserve. In the central parts there is coniferous forest and two distinctive natural gravel ridges, known as goat ridges. These are pebble ridges with slightly sharper crests and steeper sides. Along the ridges there are wetter areas with bog peat and coniferous swamp forest.

Older outfield with traces of snappers

The land in Tofta nature reserve has historically been beech forest and open grazed outfield. The beech forest in the south is particularly old with a rich occurrence of large blocks and stones. The coniferous forest seems instead to have arisen spontaneously in the previously grazed grasslands. A stone wall runs around large parts of the reserve. Inside the area there are three pits in the ground, the so-called Snapphanehålorna. They are said to have been used as hiding places during the Swedish-Danish wars in the 17th century. There are also plenty of stone cairns that remind us of the hardships of older generations of farmers. On the slope to the east of the Snapphane cairns there are about 10 such cairns, and in the beech forest to the north there are another 10 cairns.

Old-growth forest with flat-feathered moss, skylark and goshawk

The forest in Tofta has developed freely over a very short period of time and there are almost no sawn stumps here. The beech forest in the south is particularly unaffected and has particularly high natural values. The soil here is rich in stones but poor in nutrients. As a result, the trees have grown slowly and have sunken crowns (late-growing trees). Many of the trees are rotten and infested with wood fungi. The trunks are covered with mosses and lichens such as old spruce lichen and flat feather moss. There is a large amount of dead and dying wood, as well as many hollow trees. The woodpecker has created many of these nest holes. Each year, it hacks out a new cavity in a reasonably soft trunk. Older hollow trees can then be used by bats, hornets or some of the hole-nesting birds that cannot peck out holes themselves. Wood pigeons and starlings are some examples. Goshawks are another bird in the area. It builds nests in tree crowns and prefers to live in old coniferous forest.

Some of the spruce in the drier parts of the area will be replaced by deciduous forest, partly to reduce the risk of spreading spruce bark beetles, and partly to increase the area of broadleaf forest.

Outdoor life

There is a small parking lot for about 2 cars. Otherwise, there are no facilities for outdoor recreation. Beech forest and coniferous swamp forest give a feeling of untouchedness and tranquility. In the area, two marked ridges from the Ice Age, so-called goat ridges, await. Snapphanehanehålorna and some 20 clearance cairns are some of the traces of the people who lived here before us.