Gassbo

At Gassbo, you can enjoy a relatively untouched environment with an abundance of old trees of high ecological value. In the ancient beech forest, a large number of red-listed species have been recorded.

At Gassbo, old beech forest grows in gently rolling terrain that slopes down towards the Gassboån stream, which flows into Lake Stora Färgen. The beech forest is interspersed with mixed-age aspen, birch, black alder, spruce, pine, and oak. In the low-lying hollows, patches of deciduous and mixed swamp forest can be found.

Dead Wood — a Key Habitat
In recent decades, the forest has been little affected by forestry activities, which has allowed for an abundance of large dead wood. This dead wood provides an essential habitat for many fungi and wood-dwelling insects. Around 50 red-listed species have been found in the area, primarily lichens and mosses. Examples include Pachyphiale carneola (liten lundlav), Pertusaria amara (mjölig klotterlav), Bacidia rosella (rosa lundlav), lung lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria), and beech feather-moss (Homalia trichomanoides).

Remains of an Old Croft
In the northern part of the reserve, open arable land from an old croft could still be found in the 1950s. It is likely that cattle paths once ran westward through the forest. A charcoal kiln base, charcoal kiln, and tar distillery were also located near the reserve. The westernmost parts of the reserve consist of old peatland cultivation fields, which remained open well into the 20th century.