Valsjöheden, Naturreservat

The Valsjöheden nature reserve has been a protected site since the mid-1950s for the rare marsh fritillary, which is only found in about twenty places in the county. The reserve is part of a flat gravel ridge, which consists mostly of sand. A ninety-year-old pine forest grows on the ridge.

Can the mushroom come back?

The marsh marigold requires special conditions to thrive; among other things, it finds it difficult to compete with berry bushes and heather. Despite its protection, the mushroom declined at the site and has not been present at all for several years. Therefore, the reserve manager has now burned and thinned parts of the area to increase the amount of light and change the soil conditions, so that the mushroom seeds can germinate more easily.

Conservation burning

Burning used to be a normal part of small-scale forestry to release nutrients and encourage new tree seedlings. In the primeval forest, fire was a natural part. The pine as a tree species is rarely well adapted to forest fires and can withstand high heat, thanks to its thick bark at the bottom of the trunk. The pine, as well as the musk pine, naturally regenerates well after forest fires. They are examples of two plants that benefit from natural and recurrent fires in woodlands. Many birds also benefit from forest fires. In recent years, it has been recognized that many more birds than previously thought thrive in burnt forests and clearings.

Woodlark

The woodlark is a small, inconspicuous gray-speckled bird that thrives in the area. During spring mornings and evenings, its beautiful and melancholic song can be heard over the pine heaths. To see it, you have to look high up in the air, because, like the skylark, it sings in flight. During the summer, you have to listen for the skylark's song at night. In a good summer, the lark can raise three broods of young.

Internationally valuable Ramsar site

Valsjöheden is part of the larger Getapulien-Grönbo area, which Sweden has designated as a Ramsar site. The Ramsar Convention is an international agreement aimed at achieving the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Among other things, signatory countries must designate the most valuable wetland and aquatic environments in their country as Ramsar sites and ensure their conservation.

Accessibility

Valsjöheden 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.