Färnebofjärden National Park
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Färnebofjärden National Park ( sv, Färnebofjärdens nationalpark) is a
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
traversed by the river
Dalälven The Dal River ( sv, Dalälven, Elfdalian: ''Dalövę'') is a river in central Sweden that flows from the north of Dalarna and runs into the sea in northern Uppland; it is commonly considered to be the southern border of Norrland, however only th ...
, about north of
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
. It covers , of which aquatic, on the frontier between the counties of
Dalarna Dalarna () is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in central Sweden. English exonyms for it are Dalecarlia () and the Dales. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland Värmland () also known a ...
and Gävleborg. After the retreat of the
ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are in Antarctica and Greenland; during the Last Glacial Period at Las ...
that covered the region after the last
ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
, the river found itself rerouted by an
esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...
onto a plain uniquely ribbed by the ridges of other eskers, where it formed a succession of rapids and wide bays (called fjärdar), which the river inundates during the spring floods. This particular
hydrography Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary p ...
, along with the park's proximity to the ecological frontier between the north and the south, has favored the development of a fauna and flora of great
biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
. The park possesses
coniferous Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extant ...
, mixed, and broadleaf forests, some of which quite
ancient Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...
, spared by the logging industry because of their inaccessibility. These forests constitute the ideal environment for numerous species, in particular birds, with critical densities of woodpeckers and owls. If the presence of humans was relatively discreet since the Stone Age, concentrated principally atop the eskers, the development of mining activity (in particular of iron) has profoundly affected the region. The forests were exploited to feed the water-powered forges which grew up along the river. One of the most important was that of Gysinge, founded in 1668 and situated right next to the park. In 1975, in reaction to the threat of the clearing of a vast forest, the movement for the creation of a national park began, culminating in the park's opening in 1998. The park was added to the
Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...
Network and included in the
Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
's list of wetlands. The park and its environs are important tourist destinations. The river is its favored mode of discovery, but some hiking trails permit other explorations. The park is equally appreciated by fishing enthusiasts.


Toponymy

The park takes its name from Färnebofjärden, which designates the entire section of the river between Tyttbo and Gysinge. The name means "fjärd of Färnebo". The Swedish word fjärd has the same etymology as the Norwegian word fjord, both of which Scandinavian words mean "an expanse of water in a channel". Most of the bodies of water called fjords in Norwegian were steep glacial valleys into which the sea had penetrated, which was the more restrictive definition which passed into French and English. The name Fjärnebo is the ancient name of the village of Österfärnebo ("East Färnebo"), situated near the park; its name changed in the 17th century to distinguish it from a Färnebo in Västmanland, which was itself rebaptized Västerfärnebo ("West Färnebo"). The name of the village means "habitation (bo) next to the fjärd of horsetails (''fräken'', which became Färne)".


Geography


Location and environs

The park straddles the
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of Sala in
Västmanland County Västmanland County ( sv, Västmanlands län) is a county or '' län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala. The county also has a stretch of shoreline towards Mälaren (Sweden's ...
,
Heby Heby is a locality and the seat of Heby Municipality in Uppsala County, Sweden, with 2,550 inhabitants in 2010. Sports The following sports clubs are located in Heby: * Heby AIF Heby AIF is a Swedish football club located in Heby in Uppsala ...
in
Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Provi ...
,
Avesta The Avesta () is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. The Avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage. The principal text in the litu ...
in
Dalarna County Dalarna County ( sv, Dalarnas län) is a county or '' län'' in central Sweden (Svealand). It borders on the counties of Uppsala, Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It also borders on the Norwegian counties of Hedmark ...
, and
Sandviken Sandviken is a locality and the seat of Sandviken Municipality in Gävleborg County, Sweden with 39,234 inhabitants in 2019. It is situated about 25 km west of Gävle and lies approximately 190 km north of Stockholm. The rail journey t ...
in
Gävleborg County Gävleborg County ( sv, Gävleborgs län) is a county or '' län'' on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle. Provinces Gävleborg Cou ...
.p. 4 It contains a section of the Lower
Dalälven The Dal River ( sv, Dalälven, Elfdalian: ''Dalövę'') is a river in central Sweden that flows from the north of Dalarna and runs into the sea in northern Uppland; it is commonly considered to be the southern border of Norrland, however only th ...
, which since the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
has marked the frontier between
Svealand Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tyl ...
and
Norrland Norrland (, "Northland", originally ''Norrlanden'' or "the Northlands") is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional lands of Sweden, consisting of nine provinces. Although Norrland does not serve any administr ...
. The park's main entrance, at Gysinge, is about from the city of Uppsala and so about from
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
. The park proper includes most of the fjärd of Färnebofjärden and the river's floodplain, as well as parts of the surrounding lowlands, for a total area of more than , of which are water. The only parts of the fjärd not included in the park are the peninsulas of Östa and Ista, since they are inhabited, but these are protected by
nature reserves A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
of and , respectively. In addition, the park is bordered by several additional preserves: at Hedesundafjärden, at Jordbärsmuren-Ålbo, and at Gysinge, for a combined area, with the park and peninsula reserves, of more than .


Terrain

The terrain of the park is overall flat, with an altitude ranging from to below sea level.p. 11 Certain parts are nevertheless quite hilly, such as Torrösundet, Långvindsjön and the valleys of the Tiån and the Storån. In addition, the ridge Enköpingsåsen cuts across the park, with a maximum height of , crisscrossing the region over between
Trosa Trosa is a locality and the seat of Trosa Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 5,027 inhabitants in 2010 (town) and 11,417 in 2010 (municipality). The town is colloquially nicknamed ''Världens ände'' ("The world's end", specifically t ...
to the south and
Bollnäs Bollnäs () is a Swedish locality and the seat of Bollnäs Municipality, in Gävleborg County, Sweden. It had 26,937 inhabitants in 2017 History The first recording of Bollnäs in writing is from 1312 when a vicar named Ingemund referred to it ...
to the north. This ridge spans the river and creates, among other land features, the isle of Sandön and the peninsula of Ista. The river has largely flooded this flat and irregular zone, creating a mosaic of water, dry earth, and wetlands. The park also includes several bays (Östaviken, Andersboviken, Edsviken, etc.) as well as 200 islands and skerries, the largest islands being Mattön, Torrön, Ängsön, Vedön, Rosön and Västerön.p. 12


Climate

The park is situated in a
continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
(Dfb in the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
), with rain mostly in summer. It is situated on the climate frontier between north and south, which helps determine the '' Limes Norrlandicus'' marking the border between the north of Scandinavia and the south. The snow cover lasts a little over 3 months and the river is frozen during a similar period, with the exception of the rapids, which remain ice-free for most of the winter.


Hydrography

The park is situated along the course of the
Dalälven The Dal River ( sv, Dalälven, Elfdalian: ''Dalövę'') is a river in central Sweden that flows from the north of Dalarna and runs into the sea in northern Uppland; it is commonly considered to be the southern border of Norrland, however only th ...
, the second longest Swedish river at . The river begins at the
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the
Västerdal River Västerdalälven (literally ''West Dal River'') is a 300 km long river in Sweden that flows southeast through Dalarna. Its sources are Görälven and Fuluälven and the end point is Djurås, in the municipality of Gagnef, where it connect ...
and the
Österdal River Österdalälven (Swedish: ''East Dal River'', Elfdalian: ''Sturövę, Sturövin'') is a long river in Sweden that flows southeast through Dalarna. Its sources are Storån, Grövlan and Sörälven and the end point is Djurås, in the municipali ...
in
Gagnef Municipality Gagnef Municipality (''Gagnefs kommun'') is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Djurås with 2,257 inhabitants, with the largest town being Mockfjärd with 2365 inhabitants. The locality of Gagn ...
. At Avesta, the river, which until then was trapped in a narrow valley, becomes the Lower Dalälven (), and large floodplains (called ''fjärdar'') alternate with zones of rapids. Färnebofjärden is the first big floodplain of the Lower Dalälven, situated between the rapids of Tyttbo to the west and Gysinge and Sevedskvarn to the east. At Gysinge, the river already has a watershed of , for an average flow of . While the flow of the river Österdalälven is controlled (at Trängslet and the lake Siljan), the course of the Västerdalälven is free, and thus has the largest seasonal variations. As a result, when it reaches the park, the river is still relatively little regulated, with a speed varying from to more than . It is, in particular, the sole fjärd with a mouth that remains unregulated. The regulation of the Österdalälven has all the same an impact upon Färnebofjärden, the great inundations of the plains during the spring floods being more rare, even if they are nevertheless capable of inundating several dozens of square kilometers. Besides the Dalälven, there are many streams inside the park, which flow into the river. Among these, one can number the Lillån, the Storån, the Alderbäcken and the Tiån on the right (south) bank, and Bärreksån and Laggarboån along the right bank.p. 13 One can find also five small lakes inside the park, in particular around Tinäset. It is also near Tinäset that the principal bogs of the park, Lindebergsmossen and Svarviksmossen, are situated.p. 21 of the park are marshes and bogs, making up more than 20% of its total surface, and more than a third of the non-aquatic surface area of the park.p. 17


Geology

The bedrock of the park is of
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
and granitic
gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...
, and dates from the formation of the Svecofennids, a mountain chain formed between 1750 and 2500 million years ago. Subsequently, the area underwent a long period of
erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
, so that by leading 600 million years ago the so-called Sub-Cambrian peneplain had formed. During the last ice age, Sweden was covered with an
ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are in Antarctica and Greenland; during the Last Glacial Period at Las ...
, which withdrew from the region about 10000 years ago.p. 33 The glacier left behind in the region many
esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...
s and
moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...
s, such as the esker Enköpingsåsen. When the glacier withdrew, the soil had been so compressed by its mass that the entire zone situated to the east of Avesta found itself at sea level. During this maritime period, sediments deposited themselves on the bedrock, which explains why that region even today has superior fertility to that of the rest of the country. It is the reason why the line of separation between the north and the south (the ''Limes Norrlandicus''), which passes not far from the park, is so visible in the region: the zone to the north of the ''limes'' was not covered with these sediments. When this sea, called the
Littorina Sea Littorina Sea (also Litorina Sea) is a geological brackish water stage of the Baltic Sea, which existed around 7500–4000 BP and followed the Mastogloia Sea, a transitional stage of the Ancylus Lake. This stage and form of the body of wate ...
, the ancestor of the
Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
, withdrew, the Dalälven found itself blocked at Avesta by one of these eskers formed by the ice sheet: Badelundaåsen. In effect, before the ice age, the river continued in the direction of the
Mälaren Mälaren ( , , or ), historically referred to as Lake Malar in English, is the third-largest freshwater lake in Sweden (after Vänern and Vättern). Its area is 1,140 km2 and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from e ...
, in which it emptied itself and it so had flooded a valley along this entire section. Because of the fact of the presence of this obstacle, it was forced to head northeast. So, in the whole section of the Lower Dalälven, the river did not have the time to flood a true valley. It thus had to adapt itself to the topology of the terrain, forming large fjärds with many isles in the flattest sections and by contrast a course narrower and faster at the different eskers encountered along the way.p. 32


Natural environment

The park of Färnebofjärden is according to the classification of the WWF, situated in the terrestrial
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
of
Sarmatic mixed forests The Sarmatic mixed forests constitute an ecoregion within the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature classification (ecoregion PA0436). The term comes from the word "Sarmatia". Distribution This e ...
, not far from the frontier of the
Scandinavian and Russian taiga The Scandinavian and Russian taiga is an ecoregion within the taiga and boreal forests biome as defined by the WWF classification (ecoregion PA0608). It is situated in Northern Europe between tundra in the north and temperate mixed forests in ...
.


Plants

Almost all the types of forest of central Sweden are present in the park, which is due to both the presence of dry and wet environments and to the proximity of the ''Limes Norrlandicus'' line marking the frontier between the environments of the north and south.p. 6 This implies the presence in the park of environments and species characteristic to both the North and the South of Sweden. A great number of endangered species appear in the park: two species of
vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They al ...
s, 25 species of
mosses Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...
, 34 species of lichens and 22 species of fungi.p. 31 The park presents different environments as regards flora, the principal being the forests of
conifers Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extan ...
( making up 9.9% of the park), the mixed forests ( making up 14.5% of the park), of open bogs ( making up 16.3% of the park) and woods ( making up 5% of the park) and finally wetlands ( making up 7.4% of the park). The forests of conifers, principally of
Norway spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very close ...
, are in particular present in the south of the park, around Tinäset, on the isle of Torrön and the peninsula of Öbyhalvön.p. 18 These forests have not been logged since the 1950s and certain trees are themselves over 120 years old. These old trees as well as the presence of dead wood give this forest a very ancient appearance, and contribute to a great richness of
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
. The soil is often covered in moss, the characteristic species being ''
Hylocomium splendens ''Hylocomium splendens'', commonly known as glittering woodmoss, splendid feather moss, stairstep moss, and mountain fern moss, is a Perennial plant, perennial Clone (plant), clonal moss with a widespread distribution in Northern Hemisphere borea ...
'', but '' Anastrophyllum hellerianum'' and '' Nowellia curvifolia'' are also common.p. 19 One can also find European blueberries and
lingonberries ''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'', the lingonberry, partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or cowberry, is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family Ericaceae, that bears edible fruit. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Norther ...
in the undergrowth. In the zones most subject to inundations, conifers are more rare, since they do not like in general the wetter zones. In these forests, one can find broadleaf trees such as the
aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China ...
, very common in the Lower Dalälven, but rare in the rest of the country. These forests also have English oaks and small-leaved lindens and the wetter forests are mostly made up of
alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
s,
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
trees and
willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
s.p. 20 The richness of these forests and in particular their undergrowth depends above all on the nature of the soil. The poorer soils grow blueberries, bog bilberries,
wild rosemary Wild rosemary is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *Wild growing forms of the cultivated rosemary *''Andromeda polifolia'' (Bog rosemary) is known as wild rosemary, found in North America and Eurasia *Wild relatives of cultivated ...
and
cloudberry ''Rubus chamaemorus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to cool temperate regions, alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest. This herbaceous perennial produces amber-colored edible fruit similar to the blackbe ...
, whereas the richer soils are home in particular to
Lily of the valley Lily of the valley (''Convallaria majalis'' (), sometimes written lily-of-the-valley, is a woodland flowering plant with sweetly scented, pendent, bell-shaped white flowers borne in sprays in spring. It is native throughout the cool temperate No ...
, woodland strawberries, '' purple small-reed'' and yellow loosestrife. Where the floods are less frequent the hardwoods themselves are absent, giving way to open country. The country is thus a prairie and, sometimes, this prairie finishes by transforming into bog. The vegetation of the prairies is characterized by ''calamagrostides blanchâtres'', by
purple moor grass ''Molinia caerulea'', known by the common name purple moor-grass, is a species of grass that is native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to in the Alps. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid so ...
,
bogbean ''Menyanthes'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species ''Menyanthes trifoliata''. The North American form is often referred to as ''M. trifoliata'' var. ''minor'' Michx. It is known ...
, yellow loosestrife, swamp cinquefoil, lesser spearwort,
common marsh-bedstraw ''Galium palustre'', the common marsh bedstraw or simply marsh-bedstraw, is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. This plant is widely distributed, native to virtually every country in Europe, plus Morocco, the Azores, Turkey, Turkm ...
,
kingcup ''Caltha palustris'', known as marsh-marigold and kingcup, is a small to medium size perennial herbaceous plant of the buttercup family, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It f ...
,
purple loosestrife ''Lythrum salicaria'' or purple loosestrifeFlora of NW Europe''Lythrum salicaria'' is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the family P ...
and violettes, the last being an endangered species in the country. In the bogs, vegetation is poor, with mainly
bog myrtle ''Myrica gale'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Myricaceae, native to parts of Japan, North Korea, Russia, mainland Europe, the British Isles and parts of northern North America, in Canada and the United States. Common names include ...
,
bog-rosemary ''Andromeda polifolia'', common name bog-rosemary, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only member of the genus ''Andromeda'', and is only found in bogs in ...
,
common cottongrass Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...
and species of
Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...
. The soil is often covered in peat mosses and other
mosses Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and horn ...
.


Animals


Mammals

The park is host to many species of
mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s. The most widespread are the
moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
, the
roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
, the
mountain hare The mountain hare (''Lepus timidus''), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. Evolution The mountai ...
, the
red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
, and the
European pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List ...
.p. 24 Since the 1980s, one can also see
Eurasian beaver The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') or European beaver is a beaver species that was once widespread in Eurasia, but was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur and castoreum. At the turn of the 20th century, only about 1,200 beavers survi ...
near the islands of Torrön and Ängsön as well as near Gysinge. In 2008, it was similarly found that the
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
was wont to settle the park. More rarely, one sees also the
wood lemming The wood lemming (''Myopus schisticolor'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It belongs to the rodent subfamily Arvicolinae, so is a relative of the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. It is found in the taiga biome of China, Estonia, F ...
in the north part of the park. Four species of mammals present in the park are considered endangered in Sweden.p. 30 Thus, the
Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized wild cat widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an eleva ...
can be observed regularly around Öbyhalvön, Tinäset and Gärdsvekarna, alongside
brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...
s and
gray wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
, although these are less frequent. The three other endangered species are the
European otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of th ...
that one can see near the rapids, and two species of
bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...
s, the
pond bat The pond bat (''Myotis dasycneme'') is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Eurasia from France to Russia and Kazakhstan. Physical characteristics The bat is medium-sized, with a noticeably short tragus for a species in the genus ''Myotis''. ...
, very rare in Sweden) and the
common noctule The common noctule (''Nyctalus noctula'') is a species of insectivorous bat common throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Description The common noctule's short fur is dark brown after moulting in June (males) or July/August (females); lat ...
.p. 25


Birds

Bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s are without question Färnebofjärden's most numerous
class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
of animal. More than 200 species have been reported of which at least 107 nest regularly in the park. This richness is in part connected to the presence of characteristic species of both the south and the north. In addition, the park contains species of bird both aquatic and sylvan. The park has a rich population of aquatic birds, attracted by the shallow, fish-rich waters. The proximity of big trees, especially pines, affords them good nesting opportunities. The most common species are the
common gull The common gull or sea mew (''Larus canus'') is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Palearctic, northern Europe. The closely related short-billed gull is sometimes included in this species, which may be known collectively as "mew gull". Man ...
, the
common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migrator ...
, the
black-throated loon The black-throated loon (''Gavia arctica''), also known as the Arctic loon and the black-throated diver, is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere, primarily breeding in freshwater lakes in northern Europe and Asia. It winter ...
, and the
mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home ...
. In the wetlands, one often finds the
grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern ...
, the
western capercaillie The western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie , is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. ...
or even the
common crane The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') and the Siberi ...
. One of the most notable aquatic species is the
osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
, with thirty couples — probably one of the most important densities of the country. The
white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Palearctic, Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diur ...
, a species classified as endangered in the country, practically vanished from the park in the 1970s, but it is now returned. However, it is the forest species which are the most notable of the park, especially the
woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. ...
s and
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
s. Concerning woodpeckers, the great spotted woodpecker is the most common, but the
black woodpecker The black woodpecker (''Dryocopus martius'') is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region. Its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the ...
, the
European green woodpecker The European green woodpecker (''Picus viridis'') is a large green woodpecker with a bright red crown and a black moustache. Males have a red centre to the moustache stripe which is absent in females. It is resident across much of Europe and the ...
and the
lesser spotted woodpecker The lesser spotted woodpecker (''Dryobates minor'') is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. It was formerly assigned to the genus ''Dendrocopos'' (sometimes incorrectly spelt as ''Dendrocopus''). Some taxonomic authorities continue to list ...
are also themselves common. The population of
white-backed woodpecker The white-backed woodpecker (''Dendrocopos leucotos'') is a Eurasian woodpecker belonging to the genus ''Dendrocopos''. Taxonomy The white-backed woodpecker was described by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1802 under the ...
, a species classified as very endangered in Sweden with only 16 individuals in the whole country in 2004, has diminished in the park. Of 7 pairs observed in 1976, one sole individual was observed in 2003, and then a new couple in 2010. This species especially likes old forests with many dead trees and the species is thus a good indicator of the richness of the forest. In contrast, the
grey-headed woodpecker The grey-headed woodpecker (''Picus canus''), also known as the grey-faced woodpecker, is a Eurasian member of the woodpecker family, Picidae. Along with the more commonly found European green woodpecker and the Iberian green woodpecker, it is o ...
is becoming more common. Regarding owls, the most common species are the Eurasian pygmy owl and the Ural owl. The latter is in addition the symbol of the park. Apart from these species, there are the
common buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...
, the
Eurasian hobby The Eurasian hobby (''Falco subbuteo'') or just hobby, is a small, slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus '' Hypotriorchis''. Taxonomy and systematics The first formal description of ...
, or even, among others, the
European honey buzzard The European honey buzzard (''Pernis apivorus''), also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Etymology Despite its English name, this species is more closely related to kites of the genera '' Leptodon'' a ...
.


Reptiles and amphibians

The park has all major Swedish species of
amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...
s.p. 26 Among these species, one can number the
common toad The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (''Bufo bufo'', from Latin ''bufo'' "toad"), is a frog found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, and some Mediterranean islands), in ...
, the
common frog The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog, is a semi-aquatic amphibian o ...
and the
moor frog The moor frog (''Rana arvalis'') is a slim, reddish-brown, semiaquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. Moor frogs are known for their ability to freeze solid and survive thawing. The frog makes use of various cryoprotectants i.e. antifreeze ...
, as well as the
northern crested newt The northern crested newt, great crested newt or warty newt (''Triturus cristatus'') is a newt species native to Great Britain, northern and central continental Europe and parts of Western Siberia. It is a large newt, with females growing up to ...
and the smooth newt. Among the
reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...
s, the most common species are two
snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
s, the
common European adder ''Vipera berus'', the common European adderMallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. . or common European viper,Stidworthy J. (1974). ...
and the
grass snake The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies are recogniz ...
, as well as the
viviparous lizard The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara''), is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning ...
and the
slowworm The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. T ...
.


Fish

The waters of the park are among Sweden's richest, which can be explained by a great number of factors, such as their optimal
acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...
, a great richness of nutrients, or even, among other things, the zones of rapids alternating with calmer zones. These waters permit the park have not only a great number of species, but also a great number of individual fish and certain fish of enormous size. Among the species present, one can name several species of
cyprinids Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest vert ...
(the family of
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
,
minnow Minnow is the common name for a number of species of small freshwater fish, belonging to several genera of the families Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae. They are also known in Ireland as pinkeens. Smaller fish in the subfamily Leusciscidae are co ...
s, barbs,
barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and some s ...
, and others), of which in particular the asp, rare in Sweden.p. 27 The waters abound also with
northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...
, with specimens weighing sometimes , with
European perch The European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man’s rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply th ...
, with
zander The zander (''Sander lucioperca''), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Percidae, which includes the perches, ruffes and darters. It is found in freshwater and brackish habitats in western Eurasia. It is a popul ...
, and with grayling — which species is classified as endangered in Sweden, much like the
brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
. The
Atlantic salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...
was also present in the park's waters, but the dams downstream have considerably reduced its possibilities of rejoining the park.p. 28 The
noble crayfish ''Astacus astacus'', the European crayfish, noble crayfish, or broad-fingered crayfish, is the most common species of crayfish in Europe, and a traditional food source. Like other true crayfish, ''A. astacus'' is restricted to fresh water, livi ...
, a species endangered worldwide, was relatively common in the waters of the Dalälven, but has now almost disappeared; some catches in the park are however reported from time to time.


Insects

Only the
insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s of the forests have been reliably inventoried, but more than 70 species of insect are already inscribed on the list of species endangered in Sweden. The presence of
dead wood ''Dead Wood'' is a 2007 British horror film, written, produced and directed by Richard Stiles and David Bryant and starring Emily Juniper, Fergus March, Rebecca Craven, Nina Kwok and John Samuel Worsey with Bryant appearing in a small role. ''D ...
favors the presence of numerous insects.p. 29 Most of the forest insects live in the sapwood or between the sapwood and the bark. In particular, the Norway spruce and the English oak are the trees supporting the greatest richness in insects. The species of insect most associated with the park and the Lower Dalälven in general are
mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...
s of the genus ''
Aedes ''Aedes'' is a genus of mosquitoes originally found in tropical and subtropical zones, but now found on all continents except perhaps Antarctica. Some species have been spread by human activity: ''Aedes albopictus'', a particularly invasive spe ...
''. Indeed, the park's wetlands are enormously productive in mosquitos, especially during the heavy spring floods. The quantity of mosquitos in the Lower Dalälven has no equivalent in Sweden besides that in the vast wetlands of Lappland. This abundance bothers not only the park's tourists during the summer but also the entire region as far as
Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...
. Between 2002 and 2008, the
insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...
was used to try to regulate these populations, which needed a waiver, its use being forbidden in Sweden and contrary to the principles of the national park. However, the project was not renewed, this method not being considered a durable solution and some scientists arguing that the mosquitos make up part of the region's ecosystem.


History


Initial settlements and agriculture

6000 years ago, the Lower Dalälven was a bay of the Littorina Sea, but as the land rose, the crests (
esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ''asar'', ''osar'', or ''serpent kame'', is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North Amer ...
s) became the best sites for the first permanent settlements.p. 44 It was easy to nourish oneself, thanks to the river, and these places were the easiest to defend. In addition, the river was easier to cross at this point. In addition, it is atop the esker of Enköpingsåsen that one finds most of the prehistoric sites,p. 14 and many of today's routes follow the trace of ancient routes along the eskers. Among the park's prehistoric sites, one can count the Stone Age sites at Trångnäs and Sandön and the
cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...
s atop Hemön and Utön. When sedentary agriculture developed in the region during the Bronze and Iron Ages, the slopes of the crests were again the favorite settlement sites, being easier to cultivate and above the floodplain. However, these wetlands were also used for haymaking, giving an important production of good quality.p. 15 The
hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...
was stocked in nearby barns and carried to the surrounding villages during the winter to feed the animals. Some of these barns are still visible near Torrösundet and atop Västerön. Woodlands were summer granting lands (
transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower vall ...
) and some cabins () were constructed there in order to look after the animals during this time. Fifteen of these cabins are scattered in and around the park, mainly near Tinäset and south of Gysinge. Transhumance ceased at the beginning of the 20th century.


Industry

One of the characteristics of the region that has strongly influenced the mode of life there ever since the Iron Age is its abundance of metals, in particular of
iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
. The settlers began then to combine agriculture with iron extraction. This exploitation has left numerous traces inside the park. Certain zones in the park were themselves used as extraction sites, such as Tinäset, where
limonite Limonite () is an iron ore consisting of a mixture of hydrated iron(III) oxide-hydroxides in varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as FeO(OH)·H2O, although this is not entirely accurate as the ratio of oxide to hydroxid ...
was extracted from the marsh. The iron industry in the region necessitated a huge consumption of wood which initially justified
silviculture Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, and quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests and wo ...
in the park. Accordingly, the woods of Tinäset, for example, were heavily logged to feed the silver mine of Sala. At the end of the 19th century, many mills were constructed along the river: they were used for timber rafting.p. 16 This activity ceased upon the creation of dams along the river.p. 46 Gysinge has a timber rafting museum. The wettest forests largely escaped the logging industry, thereby serving as sanctuaries of biodiversity during this period of exploitation. However, the most evident trace of the iron industry in the region is the forge of Gysinge. This forge was established in 1668 initially for the production of arms. The forge's location permitted a good access to metal, extracted at the mine of Dannemora,p. 45 to wood and to the energy of the Gysinge rapids. The forge grew rapidly and in the 18th century there were constructed around the forge homes, mills, stables, a manor and even a hotel. In the 18th century, the forge was one of the largest in the country, with 50 people working at the mill proper, and 3000 people connected to the forge in other ways. The forge was also the first in the world to use an oven for induction, the oven Kjellin. The forge closed at the beginning of the 20th century. A hydroelectric plant was constructed at Gysinge in 1917, but it consists only of one small scale plant, using one deflection of a small part of the river.


Protection

The Lower Dalälven has for a long time been recognized in Sweden as a remarkable site worthy of protection. In the 1960s, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation engaged itself for the protection of Färnebofjärden, in particular the area of Tinäset, and made many inventories in the area. At the beginning of the 1970s, Stora AB tried to clear all the forests it owned in the northern part of Tinäset. In response the ornithologist Stig Holmstedt made contact with the Swedish nature conservation society and formed a group to work towards the protection of the zone, which led to the formation of a proposition for a national park in 1975. Only the commune of Sandviken took up the idea and formed the same year the nature reserve of Gysinge. In the following years, the geomorphology, fauna and flora of the Lower Dalälven were systematically inventoried. This began at the formulation of a protection plan by
Naturvårdsverket The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency ( sv, Naturvårdsverket) is a government agency in Sweden responsible for proposing and implementing environmental policies. It was founded in 1967 and reports to the Swedish Ministry of the Environmen ...
and the concerned counties. In 1989, in the first directive for the creation of national parks established by Naturvårdsverket, Färnebofjärden was proposed as a future national park. In 1997, Färnebofjärden is proposed on the list of the
Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
, and, finally, the national park was established by the king on 10September 1998. The motive for creating the park was "to preserve a unique fluvial landscape as well as rich forests and surrounding wetlands in a relatively intact state". It thus includes a large part of the old reserve of Gysinge, which accordingly was reformed in 1999 with all the zones not included in the park. On 19November 2001, the park was finally added to the Ramsar list. It is also included in the Natura 2000 Network. In 2011, the Lower Dalälven was classified as a
biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
under the name country of the river Nedre Dalälven.


Management and administration

Like most of the Swedish national parks, the management and administration are divided between the Swedish environmental protection agency and the administrative council of the
counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. Naturvårdsverket is charged with the proposal of new national parks, through consultation with administrative councils of the counties and municipalities; a vote of the
Riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...
endorses their creation. If a park is approved, the state buys the land, through the intermediary of the Naturvårdsverket. The management of the park is then principally in the hands of the county. Despite the fact that the park of Färnebofjärden spans the territories of four counties, only the administrative council of Västmanland is responsible for the management of the park.p. 38 In contrast, park's nature center is led by Gävleborg, since it is situated on Gävleborg's territory. The management work for the park includes the maintenance of tourism structures (such as trails, cabins), as well as the maintenance of certain meadows.p. 33 If appropriate, the park authorities can regulate the beaver population, which is capable of harming the forest.p. 35 Elk, deer, and American mink hunting is allowed for population regulation purposes, but is forbidden between 1January and 15August. To protect the birds, access to certain zones can be forbidden during nesting season, from 1January to 15June.p. 9 These fixed zones have been replaced in 2015 by the possibility of creating temporary zones permitting themselves to adapt to zones where the most vulnerable species are found. The ban on commercial activity has also been lifted. Finally, the speed limit for boats was lowered from 12 to 7
knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot may also refer to: Places * Knot, Nancowry, a village in India Archaeology * Knot of Isis (tyet), symbol of welfare/life. * Minoan snake goddess figurines#Sacral knot Arts, entertainme ...
except for certain sections where the maximum speed is capped at 12 or 20 knots.


Tourism

The park and the surrounding zones attract many tourists. In addition, the Gysinge forge is visited annually by 250,000 people — a figure rapidly growing, the peninsula of Östa by 75,000 people and Tyttbo by 10,000 people. However, these visits are in general highly localized. The main entrances of the park are at Gysinge and Sevedskvarn, both situated near national route 56. These entries have
parking Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the buildings' ...
. Camp grounds exist at Östa, Tyttbo and Österfärnebo, and it is also possible to stay at Gysinge forge's hotel (). Inside the park itself, many cabins are available for passing the night, many of them ancient
shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...
cabins. The principal activities inside the park in summer are
sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing ...
as well as boat or
canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...
trips. Navigation by boat is in fact one of the best ways to explore the park, and the island of Sandön is particularly popular. The park also attracts many bird watchers in winter and spring, especially near Tinäset where the birdlife is the richest. However, the part of the road that enabled one to get there was closed because it traversed the park — which closing was decided during the park's creation. As a result, the number of tourists at this location diminished considerably. A visitor, information, and nature center was built inside an old barn (dating from 1814) of the Gysinge forge. At Skekarsbo, an
observation tower An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, an ...
in height was constructed in 1995 and offers a panoramic view over the major part of the park. Several hiking trails exist inside the park, in particular in the north part: on the isle of Mattön (between Gysinge and Sevedskvarn), a part of Gästrikeleden across the park from Gysinge, and from Kyrkstigen up to Skekarsbo.p. 37 In the southern part, a long trail leads to Tinäset.


References

* * * Others


External links

*
Sweden's National Parks: Färnebofjärden National Park
from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency {{DEFAULTSORT:Farnebofjarden National parks of Sweden Protected areas established in 1998 1998 establishments in Sweden Geography of Dalarna County Geography of Gävleborg County Tourist attractions in Dalarna County Tourist attractions in Gävleborg County Natura 2000 in Sweden Ramsar sites in Sweden