Svabesholm, Naturreservat

A couple of kilometers west of Stenshuvud National Park Link to another website. is the Svabesholm nature reserve. The area is a remnant of the old field landscape that was once widespread in the area. The land has been worked by humans and grazing animals for a very long time, which has created the conditions for a claim-dependent and conspicuous flora.

Grazing since time immemorial

Svabesholm has been affected by human activities since the Stone Age and the area is rich in ancient remains. Stone walls and cairns are reminders of the toil of the past in these parts. For a long time, the land has been used as hay meadows for winter fodder, but periodically small fields have also been planted in the south-eastern part of the reserve. Meadow farming continued until the beginning of the 20th century when grazing animals took over.

Mown flora with many orchids

The long continuity of grazing in Svabesholm, together with the calcareous soil, gives rise to a special and species-rich flora. Several orchid species grow here, such as maidenhair orchids, May lilies, spurge and cuckoo lilies, but you will also find plants such as buttercups, pig's root, haymaking grass, bride's bread and darnel grass. Several of these species are highly favored by haymakers.

The fields of the dormouse

The reserve is home to a relatively large and viable population of the rare dormouse. The dormouse thrives in the dense broadleaf thickets and scrubby shrublands with blackberries, hazel, hawthorn and blackthorn.

Unique site for amphibians

In the middle of the reserve is the Brännekorran pond, one of the few waters in the area that holds water all year round. Despite its small size, Brännekorran is home to a rich wildlife and nine different amphibians have been found in the pond over the years. Brännekorran is a classic site for leaf frogs, but you can also see long-legged frogs, field frogs, common frogs, common toads and great and small newts here. In the past, the bell frog's peculiar playing, reminiscent of distant church bells, has also been heard in Svabesholm.

In English

Welcome to Svabesholm Nature Reserve

With the Brännekorran pond in the middle, surrounded by ancient pastures and meadows, bushes and dense scrub, Svabesholm is a paradise for unusual amphibians and the sleepy little dormouse. Where the scrub is less dense, traditional meadow plants such as dropwort and saw-wort flower.

For thousands of years, man and nature have together, shaped the landscape to what we see today in Svabesholm. There have been meadows, grazing animals and small fields here since the Stone Age. Brännekorran lies in the middle of the Reserve and is a popular watering hole for the amphibians in the area. Common tree frog, agile frog, great crested and smooth newt breed here. In the spring you can hear them serenading, from quite a distance.

The pastures are both wet and dry, calcareous and nutrient-poor, sunny and shaded. This mixture of environments alongside the grazing animals, mean that many different species can coexist. In the spring and summer, a variety of orchids flower in different shades of pink, along with other species such as devil's bit scabious and barren strawberry.

In the dense scrub of the pastures, dormice find both shelter and food, They eat flowers, nuts and berries and help with both pollination andseed dispersal. In the protection of the scrub, they may be joined by both common tree frog and common whitethroat.

Regulations

Within Svabesholm Nature Reserve it is forbidden to:

• put up signs, plaques, notices, posters, inscriptions, or any other equivalent items,
• dig or in any other way damage natural features or geological formations or damage fences or other structures,
• catch or collect insects or other animals or disturb wildlife in any other way,
• break branches, fell or in any other way damage living or dead trees and bushes,
• use radios, musical instruments, or equivalent in a disturbing way,
• drive a motor vehicle other than in the car parks,
• camp, park up a caravan, camper van or equivalent,
• horse ride or drive with a horse,
• light a fire,
• bring a dog or any other pet not on a lead,
• organize competitions or other activities which can disturb the natural environment.