Norra Transtrandsfjällen, Naturreservat

The northern Transtrandsfjällen mountains have long been a popular outdoor recreation area. They are located right next to the major tourist resorts in the Sälenfjällen mountains. The area is protected for the sake of outdoor recreation, but above all for its unique natural values. Photo: Maria Jons, Dalarna County Administrative Board

Large, rounded mountains and forested valleys

The nature reserve consists of several rounded mountain peaks — Stor-Närfjället, Synddalskläppen, Östra Granfjället, and Öjskogsfjället. The peaks are bare mountains, but the reserve also includes the forested slopes below the bare mountains. That is where the greatest natural values are found.

Outdoor recreation

Several mountain trails pass through the reserve. The Södra Kungsleden trail, starting at Högfjällshotellet, branches off from the Sälenringen trail at Närfjällsstugan. Trails connecting to the area come from Tandådalen. The area is also used for activities such as dog sledding and snowmobile safaris.

Bare Mountain with Thick Lichen Mats

On the bare mountain, a scrubland of heather and crowberry grows. The flora is sparse, with only a few typical mountain species. Since the mountain heath has been protected from grazing for a long time, the lichen mats of reindeer lichen and mountain hair lichen have grown thick. A small zone of mountain birch usually forms the tree line.

Old trees with traces of fire

The forests vary greatly, depending on differences in water and nutrient availability. On the slopes leading to the Lill-Närfjället plateau, a sparse pine forest grows. Some of these trees have reached a considerable age, about 400 years. Wolf lichen and dwarf cup lichen have been found in this area. The western slope of Skärfjället has a forest that has been affected by fires. Pine trees with marks from up to three fires on their trunks can be found.

Natural disasters

On certain steep mountain slopes, avalanches can act as a natural disturbance to the mountain forest. Occasionally, this can occur on a fairly large scale, as in Synddalen, where an avalanche in the early 1950s created a gap in the forest covering about 10 hectares. Other disturbances that can have a fairly large impact on the mountain forest—and for which traces are often visible—include snow breakage and ice burn.

Flowering marshes

The marshes are particularly interesting below the eastern slope of Öjskogsfjället, where rich fens with many orchids grow. Among the marsh’s rarities are the night violet, the bride’s spur, and the twinflower.

Large animals...

As for wildlife, you may encounter both larger animals—such as bears and lynx—and smaller ones like the forest lemming, Siberian jay, and three-toed woodpecker. Game birds, including capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse, and willow grouse, are also present. Ring ouzels are found in several pairs on Stor-Närfjället. Wolves and wolverines occasionally roam the area, while golden eagles use it more regularly. Along the waterways, the dipper is a characteristic species; on the mountain heaths, the curlew and the golden plover.

...and some smaller animals

Among the lower fauna, the beetle fauna in particular has been studied in detail and found to be both species-rich and to include rare species. The demanding insect species are associated with the undisturbed mountain forest with old trees and dead wood. In Syndan, there are brown trout, grayling, bullhead, minnow, and brook lamprey. The watercourse is likely one of the most important spawning grounds for trout in the Görälven River.

Mountain Pastures, Grazing, and Haymaking

There are several mountain pastures within the nature reserve. The area was extensively used in earlier times. Today, the mountain pastures are more or less in ruins. Given the often lush vegetation on the slopes, haymaking and grazing were of great value. Numerous traces still remind us of this, including the remains of old hayracks and hay barns. Mountain pasture farming has also left lasting traces in the form of tree carvings. These can be found here and there along trails or in places used for herding and haymaking. Since 2003, summer pasture farming at Öjskogsfjällstäkten has been happily resumed. In 2007, no fewer than 41 head of cattle grazed here. Cattle are now also found at the Källfjället summer pastures just outside the reserve.

Photos in the slideshow: Sebastian Kirppu and Maria Jons, Dalarna County Administrative Board