About Vattme
Vattme, also known as Tjeggelvas nature reserve, is not only Sweden's finest natural tall forest, but also a Sami cultural landscape with a rich and unique history. Is it then primarily a natural forest or a cultural landscape? Give that some thought. Is it possible to think slightly contradictory thoughts at the same time or do we need a new concept for this type of forest?
The area is approximately 70 kilometres north of Arjeplog at the Arctic Circle and covers more than 300 km2 by the large and deep lake Tjeggelvas. Vattme includes many different types of natural pine forest, but one of the most interesting parts is north of the lake. There are no roads here, but an extensive mosaic of forest, lake systems, running water, bog and rough block fields. Due to this difficult accessibility and distance from the coast, Vattme has never been affected by either early logging in the 19th century (so-called dimensional logging) or modern forestry in the 20th century. It is very unusual in the Swedish forest landscape, but means that there are still really old pine forests with many trees aged between 200 and 500 years and a few really old trees that are over 700 years old. Finding so many trees that have approached their maximum biological age is one of the most fascinating things about this forest, because it means that the trees have developed characters and personalities that are no longer found in the normal forest.
Research on ecology and natural values in Vattme
In the forest in Vattme there are also many dead trees; trees that have died in a forest fire, blown over or simply died of old age. These dead trees are incredibly important to the ecosystem and give life to fungi, insects and birds. There is also a continuous influx of dead trees, each year hundreds of trees die and others grow up in their place. All these dead trees give a special character to Vattme and one never ceases to be fascinated by their varying forms and by the fact that they may have been dead for many hundreds of years. Standing dead pines with a gray surface without bark and really hard reddish wood are called "Kelo trees". Although the forest mainly consists of older pine forest with elements of mountain birch, it varies considerably within the area; some parts consist of large block fields with occasional very old pines, in other more fertile parts the forest grows higher with a mix of trees of different ages. At some of the larger streams there are stretches of pure birch forest, in some cases with really birches that can be several hundred years old. As you hike up towards the mountain moors, the pine forest gradually turns into mountain birch forest. Single pines, however, grow high up in the mountain birch forest, where some rejuvenation of new pines occurs today.
Lars Östlund
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