Gatefjällsbranten, Naturreservat

On the border with Norway, in a sparsely populated area, lies Gatefjällsbranten. Here, streams cut through the rugged landscape and rocky outcrops, precipices and valleys alternate. Gatefjällsbranten will be the closest neighbor to the Järnskogsfjället nature reserve.

Gatefjällsbranten is a large contiguous natural forest area with very high natural values. At Gatefjällsbranten, a south-facing slope is preserved with natural forest-like forest with important structures such as deciduous trees of different ages, old rough-barked trees, dying and dead trees, streams, drops, silted-up slopes and areas with moving groundwater, sunlit trees on slopes and glades, and shaded lode surfaces and boulders. In addition, a large area of partly fire-prone mixed coniferous forest on the plateau is protected.

Some of the rare species found in the area are dependent on high and even humidity. The forest develops freely through internal dynamics, with the exception of parts where restoration measures in the form of conservation burning, ring-barking and reduction of spruce are appropriate. The spruce forest in front of the slope must be preserved to maintain the microclimate in the slope. Deciduous trees are to be promoted and the amount of dead wood is to be increased in the nature reserve.

Animals and plants

The cliff is one of the richest sites in the county in terms of demanding cryptogams. Most of these cryptogams have a western distribution in the country and are favored by West Sweden's suboceanic climate. According to inventories of mosses carried out by Sven Fransson and Tomas Hallingbäck, there are demanding species such as dark baron moss, round feather moss and Nordic rock tussock.

The latter is a species included in the Natura 2000 network's habitat directive. Furthermore, there are several demanding lichens such as broktagel_,_ grynlav and western kidney lichen_._ The blocky parts below the slopes in combination with the presence of basic rocks, have created a rich vascular plant flora. Species such as thistle_,_ black magic grape_,_ under-violet and muskwort are found in several places below the slope.

As the forest has been untouched for a long time in both easy and difficult to access parts of the slope, there is a relatively high proportion of deciduous trees and dead wood. High stumps of top-broken deciduous trees and flames formed by self thinning are scattered in the area. Traces of some red-listed wood-living insects are found here, namely the giant fungus moth, the green aspen woodpecker and the large flat-backed beetle. Over the past 20 years, the Skårsälven valley and the area around Gate has been known as a site for several demanding woodpeckers. Lesser spotted woodpecker, cuckoo and gray woodpecker are regularly observed in the area.

Facilities

Possibility to park at the meeting point along the road just after the small bridge over Skårsälven on the right side.

There are no marked trails in the reserve, but if you enter the forest on the other side of the road from the parking lot and head towards the cliff, there is a trampled path that takes you up the hill where you can enjoy the view. Otherwise, you can wander in the spruce forest below the cliff and explore the forest and the environment along Skårsälven on your own.