Kilafjället, Naturreservat

Old sparse rocky pine forest is a characteristic environment on Kilafjället.

There are gnarled old pines here, many of which are used as woodpecker forges, where woodpeckers wedge cones in order to peck out the nutritious seeds. The pines on the warm, dry rocky areas grow slowly and can become very old.

The forest has burned repeatedly over the centuries, so the number of dead pines lying around is not very high. Those that are present, however, are very important for the rich plant and animal life.

Another valuable habitat type in the area is the coarse-stemmed spruce forest in some of the crevice valleys that split the mountain. In contrast to the outcrops, the environment in the crevice valleys is dark, cold and damp, and the snow can remain for a long time in spring. Thanks to the abundance of water and nutrients, the spruces grow quickly and become tall and lush. Infestations of wood fungi weaken the wood and cause the trees to break off more easily. This environment contains many lying spruce stems that are attacked by various fungi, mosses and insects during the decay process. The species found here are adapted to humid and shaded environments and would not be able to withstand the drying out that logging would cause.

In a couple of the rift valleys there are old winter roads, where timber used to be brought down from the forest by horse and sledge. As a reminder of that time, there are some old, large oak trees in one of the crevice valleys.

Animals and plants

Some old pines are infested with the unusual wood fungus pine tick or with the rare beetle relict; both species live for long periods on living pines without weakening them significantly.

Other rare species include the hard-to-spread species of dwarf mountain pine beetle and the long-horned beetle, the ragged beetle. Their presence here shows that the pine forest has always been sparse and warm, and that sunlit, lying dead pines have been present in sufficient quantities to provide the habitat they need.