Säls Naturreservat

The reserve's location at the bottom of a long, even slope from the heights of Sönnberget and Byberget means that the ground is very moist. Here and there are both drier areas, spring flows and pure swamp forest areas with a large element of alder on plinths. The forest largely contains a lush spruce forest where nutrient-rich water seeps through the upper soil layers down the slope.

On the bedrock map of the county, there is also an area of greenstone here that provides a higher nutrient content than the surrounding granite. It is precisely because of these criteria that the area has high natural values; a continuous overgrown spruce forest. It has trees of different ages and sizes, it is rich in dead wood, which benefits insects, lichens and mosses in particular, and it is very little affected by modern forestry. It is a habitat type that has usually been intensively managed for a long time and is therefore underrepresented in the nature reserves in Dalarna. This type of forest is important for many species. It is no coincidence, for example, that the lime-favored plant wiregrass occurs here in several places.

Other species that have been noted include old spruce lichen, wool tick and wrinkled skin. The large proportion of deciduous trees is also important, where the deciduous trees are concentrated in certain stretches with alder, birch, some gray alder stretches and some scattered aspens. The scattered old pines in the area also have nature conservation qualities. The location next to Säls fäbodar means that it can be assumed that the area was once affected by domestic animals grazing in the forest. Another impact is that some of the springs just above the reserve have long been used as a water source for Bröttjärna village. The protection area for the water source goes partly into the reserve.