Björnlandet (bearland) is a national park in northern Sweden. It was established in 1991 and covers an area of 11 square kilometres.
It is a magnificent wilderness and one of the most valuable virgin forests in the country.
It's a mostly pine dominated forest and the oldest dated pine is 450 years old, but there is most likely older trees that hasn't been dated. There are also remains from trees that grew during the early middle age.
One spruce tree has been dated as 250 years old. The older spruces are located in areas that hasn't been touched by forest fires. The latest forest fires occurred in 1667, 1693 and 1831. Other tree spices that can be found are downy birch and silver birch.
Wet forest draped in hanging lichen.
Now I know. Trees does have hearts. ;o)
The large amount of free boulders and piles of boulders is striking to walkers. The bedrock consists of granite. Boulder compression appears where there is a hight water table. The boulders are forced up to the surface by frost action.
The landskape in Björnlanded is classified as undulating low mountain terrain. It's a common type in Sweden and it predominates in the forest tracts of southern and central Norrland.
In some parts of the park, it's possible to see stumps from timber cutting that occurred around the turn of the century.As far back as records exist the National Park has been used for reindeer raising. Mire hay making has also taken place in a small scale.
