baumzaehlen - Primeval Forests & Their Trees

Tresticklan National Park , Sweden

The park (29 km ² ) is the largest roadless tract in southern Sweden ¹ and one of the largest, if not the very largest, tracts of almost undisturbed forest in southern Scandinavia. Although the park is relatively small, it has a strong feeling of wilderness. Large areas of the park’s forests originate from a forest fire in the 1830s ² .

Elevations range from 165 to 275 m. The landscape consists of north –south orientated fissure valleys. The ridges and upper slopes are covered by dry, low and open Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) forest. On the lower slopes and valley bottoms there are mesic and moist, relatively low Picea abies (Norway spruce) forest, bogs and small beautiful lakes. The soils are relatively poor in general. Although the park is located close to the northern boundary of the temperate broadleaf forests, its trees are restricted to few boreal species; in addition to those already mentioned, Betula pendula (silver birch) is abundant, too. B. pubescens (downy birch) grows on moist and wet sites. You may have difficulties distinguishing between the two Betula species but other species are very easy to identify. Annual precipitation is approx. 790 mm and average annual temperature 5–6°C.

Off-trail hiking is easy in a north –south direction but slow west –east due to the valley system; some slopes are steep, although low. Camping is allowed throughout the park.

References:

1 http://sverigesnationalparker.se

2 www.lansstyrelsen.se/vastragotaland/SiteCollectionDocuments/Sv/djur-och-natur/skyddad-natur/nationalparker/Tresticklan2008webb.pdf

Official site:

sverigesnationalparker.se/en/choose-park---list/tresticklan-national-park/