Fridensborgshöjden, Naturreservat

Old-growth forest on the hill east of Bjurtjärn church.

Fridensborgshöjden nature reserve consists of a grand-dominated old-growth forest area with elements of pine-dominated rocky areas and damp drops with alder and birch. The western part and the western edge of Fridensborgshöjden itself consist of rocky slopes with rocky pine forest. In the western part there is also a large section with large blocky terrain. On richer spruce-dominated soils, the field layer varies between low-growing/small-leaved grasses and blueberries. On these soils there are also abundant traces of browsing wild boar.

The forest has been left relatively untouched over the last century. There are plenty of traces of charcoal burning in the form of charcoal heaps and the remains of charcoal huts. There is a nice hollow way in the southern part. A newly broken road runs through the central parts of the area.

Animals and plants

Since the forest has been untouched for a long time, it has begun to take on a distinctly natural forest character in places. The spruce is getting old and every year new dry trees and flames are created. In several places there are gaps with accumulations of dead spruce wood. In these dead wood concentrations, demanding wood fungi such as the border tick and the flesh tick can be found. In the northern part of Fridensborgshöjden, cream tick was also found. On late-growing spruces in a damp environment, there are some hanging lichens, including the rare yarn lichen in southern Värmland. Cat's foot lichen and old spruce lichen also occur in this environment. The latter is abundant. Findings of wood-living mosses such as wood moss and forest moss have been found on damp spruce logs. The three-toed woodpecker seems to thrive in the area as several nest holes and characteristic peck marks are visible here and there.