Västra äng is today dominated by deciduous forest, but as the name suggests, the area has a history as a hay meadow. The long haymaking tradition is still kept alive in a small part of the reserve. Not for the sake of the hay harvest, but to benefit the meadow's species-rich flora.
Västra äng belongs to Jämjö village. In the early 1800s, the area was used as meadowland and was then surrounded by a stone wall. Old maps show that there were elements of small fields, sandy areas and deciduous trees in the meadowland. The fields were abandoned early on, but hay was harvested from the meadows until the 1910s. After that, cattle grazed in the area until the 1960s. Today, a small part of Västra äng is again used as a meadow.
The meadow is one of our most species-rich natural environments with a myriad of flowers, grasses, butterflies, bees and bumblebees. Plants are adapted in different ways to mowing and the meadow's poor soil. Some plants are small and do not need much nutrition. Others have a large rosette of leaves close to the ground that escape the clutches of links. Yet another adaptation is the ability to shoot new shoots after mowing.
Abandoned meadows are now home to lush deciduous forest. Here you can see many different flowers in spring. Like the strange water lily, which lacks chlorophyll and lives as a parasite on the roots of hazel. Notice all the old, rough broad-leaved trees with wide crowns. They are reminiscent of the time when the area was still farmed, when the trees were not as dense as today. The old trees are home to many rare lichens and fungi.
Year of decision: 1995
Area: 15 hectares
Municipality: Borgholm
Landowner: Individual
Administrator: Kalmar County Administrative Board
Västra äng is located in the northern part of the midland forest, north of the Karum nature reserve. Turn east from road 136 in Rälla, towards Högsrum. Keep towards Gärdslösa (left) where the road splits. After about 1 km, Noaks Ark appears on the left. After another 1 km turn left towards the village of Karum. Parking is on the right side before the village, follow the signs.The parking lot is shared with Karum.From the parking lot, a trail starts through Karum's nature reserve to Västra äng. Within the reserve there is a nice circular loop that is marked in white.
In the nature reserve you are not allowed:
C. Regulations under Section 10 of the Nature Conservation Act on what the public must observe within the reserve.
In addition to what otherwise applies, it is forbidden to
Scientific or other studies must be carried out in consultation with the County Administrative Board.
Per Markus Jönsson
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