Gustavsmurarna, Naturreservat

The Gustav Walls have nothing to do with ancient stone walls or masons. Mur comes from the word myr, a wetland. In this case, a huge marsh. Here, with rubber boots on, you can look for beautiful orchids. For example, blood keys but also mosses and sedges. The area is located 10 kilometers southeast of Gävle and covers 72 hectares. When the last ice sheet came stomping in from the Bothnian Sea, it dropped large amounts of lime-rich material over this area. Lime in the soil provides a very special and species-rich plant and animal life.

Different habitats

Trees have adapted to the wet environment. Deciduous trees such as alder and birch thrive with their roots in water and form swamp forests up in the northwest. The spruce prefers a drier environment and crowds the banks around the bog.

The pines can cope with many different environments and are found here both on the marsh and in drier parts as larger pines. Large parts of the marshes are also completely open, without trees.

Animals in Gustavsmurarna

Many butterflies thrive in Gustavsmurarna. Among others, the stink bug and the lesser hedgehog moth have been observed. The endangered swamp velvet beetle has been found in the area.

The swamp velvet beetle is a ground-dwelling predator. They live on wet, richly vegetated but sun-exposed ground in open marshes and on lake or river shores. It is only known from a few locations in Sweden.