Fårarps mosse, Naturreservat

Fårarps mosse is located in a rolling field landscape north of Ystad. The wet bog and the areas of fen have a long history as hay meadows. The haymaking and the calcareous water of the marsh have created an exciting mix of orchids, wildflowers and colorful mosses. Today, it is grazing animals that keep the land open and rich in flowers. But archaeological finds of skulls suggest that the bog may have been a sacrificial bog in even earlier times. The reserve has no facilities for outdoor recreation.

Hundreds of years of haymaking

Fårarps mosse is located as an island in a small hilly agricultural landscape at Stora Herrestad northeast of Ystad. According to old maps, Fårarp's bog has been used as hayfield for hundreds of years. Today it is mostly pasture. In the wet parts there is an overgrown bog and wet meadows with extremely rich marshes, so-called limestone marshes. This is a very unusual habitat type with a rare diversity of species.

Lime swamp with mayweed

Limestone fens are the real gems of the landscape. They are both unusual and unusually rich in species. The environment is barren with little nutrition, except for lime, which is plentiful. Many plants and animals have adapted to this extreme environment. But as the peatlands have been drained, cultivated or overgrown, their inhabitants have become increasingly rare.

Fårarp bog has four small limestone bogs scattered around the reserve. The northernmost bog forms a two-meter high dome with a fine cover of brown mosses. Among the more conspicuous plants are beaked sedge, mayweed, marsh marigold, meadowsweet and hay flower.

Will the eyebright come back?

The big-eyed thrush is another rarity that was previously abundant in Fårarp bog. But the species disappeared from the area in 2006. We are now working to bring the species back through a special action program. Onion frog and beach toad are other threatened species that were previously found in Fårarp bog. Of the birds found in the reserve, the curlew is one of the most threatened.

Bog with a dark past

Archaeological finds show that the bog has been undisturbed for a long time, as three adult human skulls were found in the bog in 1897. Spoon-shaped scrapers have also been found in the bog. It is probably a sacrificial bog, and it is likely that the bog was a lake when they were sacrificed.

Mowing and grazing are important

It is crucial for the unique species composition of the area that the area does not become overgrown but is kept open and well-managed with the help of mowing and grazing animals.

Outdoor recreation and accessibility

The reserve is particularly interesting for botanists. The area is surrounded by arable land and lacks both a public access road and parking.

Funded by the European Union