Järnskogsfjället, Naturreservat

Large amounts of precipitation and moist air give the rift valleys a very special character, and some species that are otherwise only found in the Norwegian fjord landscape occur here.

The reserve is located in a varied, dramatically hilly landscape at 220 - 300 meters above sea level, and consists of a ridge in a north-south direction with steep slopes both to the east and west and inside the area, and in the southeast, the western edge of another ridge. The forest consists of large areas of fire-affected rocky areas with suppressed, late-growing spruce, steep slopes rich in deciduous trees, mainly aspen, spruce forests with large elements of coarse deciduous trees in places, in stream valleys, elongated bran swamp forests and several lakes, ponds and bogs.

Most of the forest stands in the proposed reserve area have stand ages between 100 and 155 years.

The Järnskogsfjället nature reserve was established to preserve and recreate the valuable habitat of deciduous coniferous natural forest with dead wood and old rough-barked deciduous and coniferous trees. The aim is also to preserve and benefit typical plants and animals, including the bird species three-toed woodpecker and capercaillie, the insect larger flat beetle and the moss species green shield moss and wood bumblebee moss.

Animals and plants

The main conservation values are: swampy rift valleys, with their moisture-rich flora, where, for example, Norwegian beaked lichen and spruce lichen are among the exclusive species. exposed, recently dead spruce wood, with occurrences of, for example, the beetle greater flatworm; steep slopes with shaded lode surfaces and scree slopes, both west- and east-facing, with a rich moss flora including the red-listed round feather moss, many signal species and several species that are rare in the region; coarse dead wood in damp and shady locations, with species worthy of protection such as the red-listed wood staircase moss and the protected green shield moss. The area is important for capercaillie and several woodpecker species, including the endangered three-toed woodpecker.