Knattorpsmossen, Naturreservat

In the Knattorpsmossen nature reserve, coarse aspens, aged pines and moss-covered boulders give the hundred-year-old forest a clear character of natural forest. Rare species such as foxtail, lung lichen and skin lichen thrive in the untouched forests.

Old forest near Knattorpsmossen

The nature reserve borders Knattorpsmossen, which gives the reserve its name. The bog is the result of a lake subsidence and the entire mosaic of forests and bogs around Knattorpsmossen is interesting and has high natural values. The century-old spruce forest in the Knattorpsmossen nature reserve is blocky with large, moss-covered stones and a large element of birch and aspen. Here and there are old pine trees. The forest is criss-crossed by damp patches of alder, which together with the adjacent bog contribute to high humidity in the forest. The reserve borders in the west on the Stora Knattorpsmossen nature reserve.

Rare lichens on old aspens

Lung lichen and skin lichen are two unusual lichens that require high humidity. Both are large and grow on large aspens in the reserve, preferably a bit up the trunk. The skin lichen is gray-black, while the lung lichen in wet conditions is intensely green, with a netted surface. Both leather lichen and lung lichen are very good so-called signal species, which signal forests with high natural values where you can expect to find more unusual species.

Dead wood gives new life

There is also plenty of dead wood in the reserve, mainly small hardwoods in dense aspen stands where the trees are beginning to die due to crowding. A characteristic species on dead trunks in these self-thinning aspen stands is the foxtail. The color on the upper side is a beautiful fox red, hence the name. The good supply of dead wood is also appreciated by various woodpeckers, as there are lots of insect larvae in the dead trees.

Overgrown meadow

Linden occurs sparingly in the reserve. Linden is a heat-demanding tree that grows on nutrient-rich soil and new seedlings only grow in years when the summer is really hot. Lime therefore shows a special climate and soil. The occurrence in the reserve is probably due to previous cultural influences that have favored the linden, i.e. that smaller parts of the area have previously been hayfields or pastures. Linden is often found in overgrown meadows and pastures.

Accessibility

Knattorpsmossen belongs to level 1 in the county administrative board's leveling of the county's nature reserves, which means that the reserve has a wilderness character and lacks outdoor recreation facilities.