Stämshöjen

At Stämshöjen, the real storm hat has its only wild plant site in Dalarna. Here the species is naturalized and known since the 17th century. The plant site was described in a script the first time by Linnaeus' father-in-law Johan Moreaus and then visited by Linnaeus in 1745.

The true storm hat, Aconitum napellus, is a meter-high blue-flowering and very toxic vascular plant. At Stämshöjen, it has one of very few premises in Sweden. The real storm hat is actually an immigrant from Western and Central Europe and from the beginning probably spread from some garden. Here at Stämshöjen, the species is naturalized and known since the 17th century and it is a Swedish record with a good margin. In addition, it is the only vascular plant in Dalarna that is classified by the National Biodiversity database as being endangered.

This whole rich leafy forest, a kind of gallery forest along the Trostbäcken in an open field landscape, also fills a biological function for many insects and birds, for example, less woodpecker. Mainly for food search and protection. During spring and autumn when birds of prey move along the valley, it is not uncommon to see them spotting from this forest over the field after prey.

Gallery forests along sinks and watercourses in open landscapes are important residual forests in many parts of the world and also function as wind dredgers. On this small surface there are many different types of trees, several vascular plants and, for example, wood sponges that live on the many fallen leaves. All in all, a small but rather crossover, or at least odorless, natural environment. The westernmost part of the reserve contains an open wetland.

Changes occur quickly in this forest environment. Trees are falling now and then and different successions are successive. At times, Trostbäcken gets high flows and can then significantly affect the ravine environment. At some high water flows, the open wetland turns into a water mirror.