Blecktjärnsskogen, Naturreservat

The Blecktjärnsskogen nature reserve is located in Karlskoga and Hällefors municipalities, between Karlskoga and Loka. The area borders on the Murstensdalen nature reserve. The area contains valuable natural forests and many interesting species of fungi, lichens and mosses.

Blecktjärnsskogen borders on Lokadalen nature reserve to the west and Murstensdalen nature reserve to the east. Hike in on marked trails in Blecktjärnsskogen from the Lokadalen or Karbo entrance in Murstensdalen.

Trees from the 15th century

The Blecktjärnsskogen nature reserve was established in 2014 and is located in Karlskoga and Hällefors municipalities, between Karlskoga and Loka. The area borders the Murstensdalen nature reserve. The area contains valuable natural forests and many interesting species of fungi, lichens and mosses. The Blecktjärnsskogen forest has long been self-managing. Here the trees are allowed to die of old age. But this is no untouched primeval forest you have before you. Here and there you can see old stumps from logging in the past. The oldest pine in the reserve grew more than 500 years ago, but most of the trees are around 150 years old.

Traces of fires

Before the days of rapid firefighting, the forests of Bergslagen were often ravaged by fires. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the forest burned as often as every ten years. Scores of charred pine stumps bear witness to the progress of the fire. As well as fire noises - fire damage to old pines that starts at the bottom of the trunk and tapers upwards.

Woodland rarities

Blecktjärnsskogen is a haven for plants and animals that cannot survive in modern forests. Old trees, stumps and fallen giant trees are home to rare fungi, mosses and lichens. In moist environments next to ponds, marshes and springs, the diversity is unusually rich with rarities such as brown-powdered needle lichen and starry thistle.

Birds of the forest

In many of the forest's old pines, there are nest holes chiseled out by the sparrowhawk's powerful beak. When the robin abandons its nest, other species can move in. Like the pearl owl, whose hooting is often heard during moonlit winter nights. Three-toed woodpeckers, wolverines and capercaillie are other wildlife birds that thrive in Bläcktjärnsskogen.

The forest and man

If the old pines could talk, they would tell us about hunters, swordsmen and people dressed in calico with axes in their hands. The traces of these people's work can be seen today as old felling stumps and coal bunkers, traces of coal mines. There are also two abandoned crofts in the reserve, Svensbo jordetorp and Nutrikes.