Ryen, Naturreservat

Calcareous northern slope with nutritious spruce forest.

The area consists of a north-facing slope with a stream at the foot of the slope. Several damp areas occur on the slope. The forest at Ryen consists largely of nutrient-rich spruce forest with elements of areas with calcareous soil. The element of middle-aged and old aspen is large and several signal species linked to old aspens have been noted. There is plenty of dead wood in the area, and spruce logs in various stages of decomposition provide substrates for a rich flora of mosses, including red-listed species.

Most of the area consists of two key biotopes. In the lower, northern parts of the area, spruce is the dominant tree species and the ground vegetation consists mainly of mosses, including a few signal species.

In the light wells created when trees have died and fallen to the ground, the element of herbs is higher and there are smaller areas where cyclamens almost cover the ground.

In the gaps created by lying dead wood, the deciduous trees that otherwise grow mostly along the stream in the lower parts of the area are rejuvenated. The continuous self-clearing of spruce creates a large number of flames in various stages of decomposition, which in turn provide substrates for a rich moss flora. The entire lower area is moist and there is plenty of moving groundwater even further up the slope. In some places it has accumulated in small streams or gullies.

Higher up the slope, aspen of various sizes are more common, and some trees are very large.

At the top of the slope, the microclimate is clearly drier due to the clearings to the south of the area, and the presence of pine and birch increases. The spruces are not of the same size as down by the stream, and the bedrock is exposed in some places, making the soil poorer. However, there is plenty of dead wood in smaller dimensions and this part of the area will develop into valuable mixed coniferous forest with elements of rocky ground.

Animals and plants

The endangered spruce budworm has been found in the area, a species that is linked to calcareous soil. Two red-listed moss species are found in the area. Several signal species grow on the aspens, three of which are red-listed.

Signal species found are coral lead lichen Parmeliella triptophylla, skin lichen Leptogium saturninum, beard lichen Nephroma parile, stump lichen Nephroma bellum, aspen gel lichen Collema subnigrescens, yellow needle Chaenotheca brachypoda, wood stair moss Anastrophyllum hellerianum, stubble moss Herzogiella seligeri, forest hook moss Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus, bow-spray moss Plagiomnium medium, long-lobed moss Nowellia curvifolia, green shield moss Buxbaumia viridis, aspen feather moss Neckera pennata, woodland moss Calypogeia suecica, dark house moss Hylocomiastrum umbratum, spruce bud moss Boletopsis leucomelaena, sulphur bud moss Lactarius scrobiculatus, fox moss Inonotus rheades, large aspen bud moss Phellinus populicola, Goodyera repens, dwarf horsetail Circaea alpina, spring pea Lathyrus vernus, bronze lion Callidium coriacium, giant sponge moth Scardia boletella, three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, woodpecker Dryocopus martius.