Möllegården, Naturreservat

In Möllegården Nature Reserve you won't find a farm, but you will find a large stone. The Maglehems stone is a large boulder that the ice has dragged here. The stone is majestically placed on a hill in the northwestern part of the reserve. Möllegården, together with the neighboring reserves Kumlan Link to another website, Lillehem Link to another website, Maglehem Link to another website and Drakamöllan Link to another website, is part of a large coherent natural area with rolling pastures. The sandy environment contributes to a unique plant and animal life. You will find this unique sandy landscape in south-eastern Skåne.

Ice river sand and boulders

15,000 years ago, the melting ice sheet brought lots of calcareous sand from the Kristianstad plain. A hilly sandy landscape spread out. Majestically placed on a hill in the northwestern part of the reserve is a large boulder dragged there by the ice - Maglehemsstenen.

Sand steppe, grazing animals and temporary fields

The sandy soil was easily cultivated and has been used for grazing and temporary fields for many hundreds of years. The unusual sandy steppe habitat has been formed by the combined forces of nature and man.

A prerequisite for the survival of sandy steppe plants is that new calcareous sand is brought to the surface - something that old agriculture did when the pasture was plowed up for temporary fields and then left fallow again.

Restoration of sandy soils

As agriculture modernized, the need for pasture and temporary fields decreased. In the mid-20th century, pine trees were planted in parts of the reserve and many of the plants and animals of the open sandy soils began to disappear. Under the EU SandLife project, parts of the pine forest have been cut down and the land reopened. To mimic the old tree farming, different areas will be plowed, harrowed and burned at regular intervals. These measures will benefit dung beetles, such as the razor beetle, rare herbs, such as the gray grass, and many other sand-loving species.

In English

Möllegården Nature Reserve

Möllegården is part of a larger inter-connected area of countryside with rolling pastures, a rich flora and exciting wildlife. It is one of several nature reserves in this unique sand-dominated landscape. The reserves are linked by the River Julebodaån which meanders through the valleys between the sandy hills, surrounded by lush wet and broadleaved woodlands.

15 000 years ago, the melting ice created this hilly, sandy landscape with the glacial erratic rock called Maglehemssten majestically located on the top of a hill in the middle of the Reserve.

The sandy soils were easy to cultivate and have been used as pastures and temporary fields for hundreds of years. The unusual habitat of sandy steppe has been formed by the joint efforts of nature and man.

With the modernization of agriculture, the need for pastures and temporary fields declined. In the middle of the 1900s pine was planted in parts of the Reserve and many of the plants and animals associated with open sandy areas began to disappear. Within the EU project SandLife, the pine woodland has been removed. To mimic crop rotation, different areas will be plowed, harrowed and burned on a regular cycle. The winners are the dung beetles, such as Onthophagus nuchicornis, unusual plants, such as small alison and many other sand-loving species.

Regulations for Möllegården visitors

Within Möllegården Nature Reserve it is forbidden to:

• remove, dig, bore, paint or in any other way damage the ground, stones or natural objects,
• camp or park caravans, campers or similar overnight
• light fires,
• during the period April 1 to November 30 ride or lead horses
• cycle other than on roads
• deliberately disturb grazing animals
• bring dogs or other pets unless on a physical leash
• pick, dig up or in any other way damage plants, mosses, lichens and wood-living fungi
• park outside designated parking areas
• introduce or release species alien to the reserve

Furthermore, without written permission from the County Administrative Board, it is forbidden to:

• hold or organize competitions or similar events,
• catch insects, spiders, gastropods or other invertebrate animals other than by netting, hand picking or other selective method which does not destroy their habitat, with subsequent reintroduction within the nature reserve. The requirement for reintroduction does not apply to individual voucher specimens of species which are difficult to identify, on condition that the record is logged in the reporting system Artportalen, or an equivalent national database for threatened species, and that the collection is not contrary to the species protection regulations,