Key Habitat (Protected area)

Nyckelbiotopen

View over the key habitat

The key habitat is situated next to the East Asia part of the arboretum. This place with its old and fallen trees will probably seem a bit off and hardly representative for an arboretum.

The area is about 2,5 hectares big and hosts a mix of broad-leaved trees such as grey alder, rowan and bird cherry trees. Most of them are old and are laying dead on the ground, others are leaning due to the steep orientation which causes a lot of movement in the soil. This area is classified as a key habitat or an protected area and we are not allowed to fell any trees or interfere in any way. The Swedish forest agency defines a key habitat like this: “a forest area which from an assessment of the biotope structure, history, physical environment and the species it holds has a very big impact for the forests flora and fauna. Here you can or you can expect to find red listed species.”

In this area rare mushrooms and insects have been found. When further inventory’s are done in the future there is probably much more to be found here.

Studies regarding the whole of Sweden have shown that more than 300 types of insects lives on birch, alder and aspen. When it comes to mushrooms for example more than 300 species have been linked to aspen.

The disturbances in this area sometimes affects the road below it in a negative way due to fallen trees and the movements in the soil. However this should be put in contrast to the high values which the key habitat holds.