Hästmyrberget, Naturreservat

There are two nature reserves on either side of the county border along Hästmyrberget. The Hästmyrberget nature reserve in Gävleborg spreads out on the southern and eastern slopes of the mountain. Keep in mind that it can be difficult and dangerous to move around in the area. The forest on Hästmyrberget is old, up to 150-200 years. The spruce trees in the area are large and tall, but during the last storm in 2013, many spruce trees were snapped and felled. After the storm, the spruce bark beetle has swarmed in the area and several spruces have been killed and are now brown and bare. There are also large and old deciduous trees of aspen, willow, birch and rowan. They fared better in the storm and are not affected by the spruce bark beetle either. All the storm-felled and spruce bark beetle-killed trees that have fallen in a jumble make it very difficult and dangerous to get around in the forest.

Springs and small streams

To get to the top of the mountain and look out over the landscape and Lake Malungen, you can walk along the gravel road that runs right through the nature reserve. Along the slope of the mountain, groundwater seeps out in springs, wetlands and small streams.

The trees that have fallen down, and have become so-called flames, are used by many species. On spruce, you can see the fruiting bodies of decay fungi such as the woolly tick, wrinkled skin and patchy tick. Candelabra fungi grow on aspen. Insects lay eggs in the rotten wood. The larvae develop in the wood, sometimes for several years, before a new insect is ready.

Nutrient-rich soil

Mosses thrive here and 25 red-listed moss species have been discovered in the area. Where the groundwater emerges, it is very nutrient-rich in some places, and goldenrod, green clover, thistle and marsh moss grow here.

In spring you will be greeted by blue and white carpets of bluebells and wood anemones. The old forest has not been affected by forestry to any great extent, but there are decaying stumps that indicate that logging was carried out in earlier times.