Blåalt, Naturreservat

Blåalt is an old, untouched forest consisting mainly of oak and beech. The trees are between 160 and 240 years old and are home to many rare mosses and lichens. A 2.5-kilometer hiking trail leads you through the central parts of the reserve.

The forests in Blåalt are part of a larger area characterized by deciduous forest. There are mainly oak and beech trees in the forest, but smaller swamp forests occur here and there in the terrain slopes.

Forest with a long history

The reserve has a long history as woodland, which is unusual in this region, which in the 18th and 19th centuries was dominated by open heathland. At the same time, the area was part of a larger outlying forest called "Kårarp forest". It was not until the end of the 20th century that roads were built in the area. Before the roads were in place, Blåalt was difficult to access. The fact that the area was difficult to reach for a long time has contributed to the fact that so much of the forest has been preserved untouched.

Many unusual lichens and mosses

The age of the oak and beech trees in the area varies between 160 and 240 years. The forest has not been much affected by forestry. The almost untouched and ageing broadleaf forest has high biological values with a number of rare species of mosses and lichens, such as beech feather moss and beech lichen. Dead wood in the form of stumps (standing dead trees) and flames (lying dead trees) is also present. Despite its name, dead wood can contain a lot of life, and the presence of dead wood is important for wood fungi, insects and woodpeckers. The wood pigeon, lesser spotted woodpecker and lesser flycatcher are some interesting bird species found in the forest.

Stream path and pigsty

Through the core area of the nature reserve, you can walk a 2.5-kilometer long footpath. Near the path is an old pigsty. It is a remnant from the time when pigs were kept on pasture in the beech forest. To protect the pigs, they built pigsties or pig sheds, which were often made of stone. The stone that formed the pigsty in Blåalt is still in place today.