Ledegöl, Naturreservat

Sometimes the forces of nature take over. That is exactly what has happened in Ledegöl! An old spruce forest used to grow on the slope down to the lake. But then came the storm Gudrun.

The drama of nature

The calm before the storm

This used to be an old, fairly untouched spruce forest that was set aside as a domain reserve back in the 1930s. The forest was virtually free of human influence and a lot of different lichens, mosses, insects and fungi that like untouched spruce forests thrived here.

Current situation

In this small forest reserve, something very special is happening right now. The dead and dying spruce forest you see in Ledegöl today is the result of several natural but dramatic events. First, the storm Gudrun came in January 2005 and knocked down lots of trees, not only in Ledegöl but also in the surrounding forests. All the dead spruce wood that suddenly appeared became a veritable smorgasbord for the tiny spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus).

The spruce bark beetle

The spruce bark beetle is about 4-5 mm long and is found throughout the country. In May-June, spruce bark beetles swarm. They are then looking for suitable material to breed in. The best places are windfalls where the wood has not yet dried and weakened trees in sunny locations. In early August, the new generation of bark beetles starts to leave the infested trees. The summer after the storm was hot and dry and this allowed the bark beetles to swarm 3 times during the season! Therefore, the infestation was really difficult for many forest owners. In Ledegöl, the bark beetles together with the storm have basically killed all the spruces.

Spruces - in life and death

Spruce trees can live to be between 200 and 300 years old if they are allowed to grow and die without the influence of human forestry. Spruces also grow very differently depending on where they are located. If the soil is fertile and the water supply is good, real spruce giants develop, while a spruce that is lean and dry can be just as old but may look like a really bad Christmas tree!

Strong but delicate

The spruce likes to grow up under other trees, preferably birch and aspen. It is very good at competing for water and nutrients and in the long term it outgrows the deciduous trees that are quick to start but cannot cope with the darkness under adult spruces. However, spruce has some weaknesses; with its thin bark and shallow root system, it is susceptible to forest fires and storms, and it is desirable prey for fungi and insects when it is weakened by too much water around the roots or when branches or tops blow off.

Nature's disturbances important for development

Disturbances such as fires, floods and storms have always been an important and natural part of the forest ecosystem and without them there would be no natural forest environment. But because these events occur so rarely from a human perspective, their effects are always perceived as major in the here and now.

Why do we as nature conservation managers just let it be?

Well, this is a unique opportunity to gain insight into how a forest actually recovers after a real natural disturbance.

Can dead wood be positive?

Absolutely, many animals, plants and fungi depend on the availability of dead wood in the forests and in Ledegöl there is plenty of it now! And there is no risk of more bark beetle attacks from here - the pests only lay eggs in fresh wood.