Hällabomossen, Naturreservat

In the Hällabomossen nature reserve, the wind rustles the old trees around the bog. In spring, the crane can be heard trumpeting at the edge of the bog, often accompanied by the white-sounding call of the sparrowhawk and a powerful drum roll against one of the old hollow trees.

The reserve is dominated by Hällabomossen itself, which is surrounded by coniferous and swamp forests. High humidity, plenty of old deciduous trees and dead wood create good habitats for a large number of different species. Everything from birds and insects to a variety of unusual lichens, fungi and mosses - so-called cryptogams.

Host to many

Old, rough aspens, full of holes and with gnarled trunks, can be found in the forest at Hällabomossen. Unfortunately, these old trees have become scarce in today's forests. Many species that depend on aspen are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. One of them is the lungwort, another the fastidious dirty-white candelabra fungus that grows almost exclusively on fallen, dead aspens.

Wonderfully untidy

A forest that is allowed to develop freely appears untidy and littered. The trees are of different ages and dead trees are strewn about. When you step over the trunks and decaying wood, you find traces of life almost everywhere. Lots of different species depend on an environment like this. Insects, fungi and lichens ensure that the trees turn back into mulch and contribute to the natural cycle and diversity.

The birds

The many decaying trees are perfect for woodpeckers and other nesting birds. Both the three-toed woodpecker and the robin live in the forest. The woodpecker gets its name from the fact that it spills wood shavings around it as it pecks out its deep beech chamber, or searches for ants in the trees.

Human tracks

Nowadays, the forest in the reserve is the territory of plants and animals, but the toil of the past for food has also left its mark. Overgrown coal beds tell the story of charcoal burners guarding their milas for lonely weeks. Overgrown ditches tell of old dreams of efficient forestry.

Accessibility

Hällabomossen belongs to level 1 in the County Administrative Board's leveling of the county's nature reserves, which means that the reserve has a wilderness character and lacks outdoor recreation facilities.