ABBORRTJÄRNSBERG and RITAMÄKI : Eva Nohlgren

ABBORRTJÄRNSBERG AND RITAMÄKI : Eva Nohlgren. : Eva Finn homesteads with thriving meadows © PHOTO

www.foderochfagring.se Abborrtjärnsberg after mowing. © PHOTO: Jan Wirtberg. Mowing by scythe at Abborrtjärnsberg. © PHOTO: Johanna Malmgren.

The Finn homesteads The importance of haymaking feed in the form of leaf hay, i.e., green twigs from berg and Ritamäki. Just as many other plants in northern Värmland Gathering feed for the animals was a necessity to deciduous trees that were gathered and dried. that benefit from haymaking, the field gentian During the 1600s, many people moved from east get them through the winter. The grounds closest You can still find traces of grazing and leaf hay cannot tolerate being surrounded by excessively Finland to Sweden. The authorities encouraged to the houses, the infields, were used as fields and harvesting in the forest such as plants that benefit high vegetation. These plants have adapted to this, and people who established new settlements meadows, but these alone did not suffice. Hay from such grazing and trees with multiple trunks withstand haymaking in various ways. Some in far-off forest areas were granted tax reliefs for was also harvested by scythe from mid-July until that have grown from stump shoots after the species survive in the meadow by keeping most several years. These forests were considered more the end of September on the meadows and moors harvesting of leaf hay ended. In bad years, the of their leafs lower than the cutting height of or less useless, but the “forest Finns”, as they were a little further from the farm. The meadow hay farmers would even harvest the tops of pine trees the scythe. One example of a plant with its sometimes called, had experience of cultivating was more nutritious, and considered especially to supplement the feed, so that the animals would leaf rosette close to the ground is the spotted forest land through slash-and-burn farming. good for the animals, but moor hay and leaf hay survive until spring. cat’s-ear. Other species will set seeds early in This practice entails cutting down and burning were decisive for how many animals a farm could the summer in order to make it before the hay the forest, and then sowing seed into the ashes. keep fed during winter. Thriving, species-rich meadows is cut down, such as the yellow-rattle. For these However, before long, the economic value of the Mown meadows have a high level of biodiver- species to survive, it is important to maintain the forest increased drastically, first as a source of Forest grazing and leaf hay sity, especially around old Finnish farms, where grounds through haymaking, and it is important charcoal for the steel mills, and later as timber. Since the lands closest to the farm were used as the meadows were maintained for hundreds of that this is not done too early or too late in the When that happened, slash-and-burn farming fields and meadows, the animals would graze in years. The annual haymaking led to the slow year. As the plants that benefit from haymaking became prohibited, and the “forest Finns” had to the forest during the summer. The forest grazing depletion of nutrients from the grounds, which are adapted to conditions with limited nutrients, readjust to field farming and animal husbandry. led to rich and diverse forest environments which kept fast-growing species at bay. This instead it is also important not to fertilise the lands. There are still traces of their hard work in many of are highly uncommon today. Sometimes, the benefited plants adapted to these particular the forests in northern Värmland. forest floor was burned down to improve grazing. conditions. The unusual and highly endangered More than just plants The forest also provided an addition to the winter field gentian can be found at both Abborrtjärns- The maintained meadow is not only home to a Violet coral fungus (Clavaria zollingeri). © PHOTO: Anders Janols. Dark green fritillary (Argynnis aglaja). © PHOTO: Sven-Åke Berglind. Rocky mown meadow at Abborrtjärnsberg. © PHOTO: Johanna Malmgren. Flourishing meadows at Ritamäki. © PHOTO: Eva Nohlgren.

rich flora of vascular plants, but also to insects ally lived in and used. In 1964, the last people to for haymaking. The hay from these moors did not Measures taken within the project and mushrooms. Many of the insects have host farm it moved to the elderly care home in Torsby, have as high a nutritional value as that from the Foder och fägring (2010-2014) plants that are only found in mown meadows. and the farm was gifted to the regional history meadows, but it was still a necessary part of the The number of traditionally kept grasslands is Butterflies and day-flying moths are strongly society of Lekvattnet. Up until that point, they winter feed. decreasing all over Europe, and in Sweden they associated with mown meadows, and some of had maintained their land still using the scythe as are almost completely gone. The highest natural the species you might spot around the Finn a tool. The area became a protected nature reserve Abborrtjärnsberg values are often found in areas where farming homesteads are the green forester, the false heath in 1993. Abborrtjärnsberg is a Finn homestead that was was not modernised during the 20th century. fritillary, the six-spot burnet, the mazarine blue, The farm is surrounded by open infields, with colonised relatively late, sometime before the In places where agriculture has been modern- the geranium argus and the dark green fritillary. patches of tilled ground and meadows. The mown mid-1800s. The c. 7 hectares of infields used to ised, the mown meadows and pastures have For many butterflies it is important that the meadow is highly rich in species. Field gentian hold two crofts. Nowadays, only the buildings often been ploughed into fields and leys, or have hay is not cut too early, as their pupae need grows here in masses, as do other rare species such from North Abborrtjärnsberg remain, but the been fertilised. Doing so leads to the disappear- time to fully develop. What matters most to the as wolf’s bane, spotted cat’s-ear, grass-of-parnas- foundations of the houses that comprised South ance of the rare species that cannot compete mushrooms is instead the meagre nutritional sus, fragrant orchid, lesser butterfly-orchid, alpine Abborrtjärnsberg are still visible. The area became with grass and crops. Many mown meadows conditions and unbroken/unploughed grasslands. cat’s-tail and moonwort. The endangered violet a protected nature reserve in 1996. have also been transformed into pastures. The There are also indications that the mushrooms coral fungus can also be found in the meadows The infields comprised both arable fields and open landscape is maintained with the use of cooperate with plants in the meadow through around Ritamäki. mown meadows. The fields were used to grow grazing animals, true, but species that cannot their roots and mycelium, but this has not yet About one tenth of the open ground around potato and barley. withstand being trodden on or grazed will been satisfactorily proven by science. If you are Ritamäki consists of cultivated fields divided Abborrtjärnsberg also used to have apple trees disappear. lucky, you may find violet coral fungus around into patches of various sizes. The fields were not and currant bushes. The goal of the project in Ritamäki and Ritamäki in the autumn. permanent, but were moved around the meadows The long-term use has created good conditions Abbortjärnsberg has been to continue building in order to avoid depletion and to stimulate the for several endangered plants, including field on the work already carried out in these nature Ritamäki meadow vegetation. gentian, alpine cat’s-tail and moonwort, but also reserves. Both areas already had beautiful mown Ritamäki is one of Sweden’s best preserved Finn In the lowest points of the reserve, there are typical meadow plants like pill sedge, mat-grass, meadows in connection to the buildings, but homesteads, and the last one that was tradition- wetlands which have also been cultivated or used alpine bistort and yellow-rattle. There are also rare they were small, and lay in shadow of the trees insects such as the green forester moth. in the surrounding grounds. The shade is detri- Heath fritillary (Melitaea athalia). © PHOTO: Sven-Åke Berglind. Green forester moth (Adscita statices). © PHOTO: Sven-Åke Berglind. The grounds were maintained through mental to the plants and animals of the meadow. haymaking up until the 1940s. Since then it has By expanding the mowed surfaces and improv- been uncultivated. The Solörs Finnkulturförening ing their maintenance, the rare species have a (culture association) resumed maintenance of the greater chance of spreading and increasing in grounds closest to the buildings in the 1970s. number. This would make them less vulnerable After that, the rest of the open grounds have to random or unpredicted events that harm the gradually been reopened, and nearly all of the place where they grow, such as extreme weather earlier infields are currently being maintained. or a few years without maintenance. At Ritamäki, all bushes and ferns have been and the old system of ditches has been restored cleared away. The tree line has been thinned out to prevent the waterlogging of the haymaking at the edges of the area to obtain a larger area grounds. This has improved the chances of the of continuous mowed land, and to decrease the plants and animals of the meadow, and created shading of the grass cover. At the southwest excellent conditions for long-term maintenance. corner, there is a wetland which has also Now that the project has been completed, the Abborrtjärnsberg been reopened for haymaking; a maintained work of annual haymaking begins. Using modern environment that has not existed in the area for technology, such as a bar mower, it is possible to Field gentian (Gentianella campestris). many years. mow the old cultivated fields, but since large parts © PHOTO: Johanna Malmgren. At Abbortjärnsberg, the tree line in the of the areas are highly uneven and rocky, tradi- southern parts of the area has been thinned out, tional mowing by scythe will still be needed. Röjdåfors

Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria). © PHOTO: Marie Brunsell. A mound of stones at Ritamäki indicating the hard work that has gone into freeing the land from rocks, thus making it easier to maintain. © PHOTO: Johanna Malmgren.

A large load of hay on its way into the barn. © PHOTO: Torsby Finnskogs- centrums arkiv. Östmark

Inside the smokehouse of Abborr- tjärnsberg, the oven is still intact, Lekvattnet even if it is no longer possible to build a fire in it. © PHOTO: Eva Nohlgren.

Ritamäki

Torsby

How do I get to Abborrtjärnsberg and Ritamäki? Abborrtjärnsberg is almost on the Norwegian south of Lekvattnet. The easiest way to get border, north of Röjdåfors. The easiest way to get there is from Torsby via Lekvattnet along the there is from Torsby via Östmark. Turn north at E16. Turn south at Lekvattnet, pass the church, Röjdåfors and continue towards Mattilla. Before continue around 7 km up the mountain, at you reach Mattilla, there are sign posts to the which point a private road takes you westwards Species-rich meadow with field scabious (Knautia arvensis) in the forefront nature reserve. Follow these westwards for 9 km. towards Lomstorp. There is a parking area by of the picture. © PHOTO: Jens Montelius Risberg. Ritamäki is also near the Norwegian border, the Lomsen lake. Abborrtjärnsberg och Ritamäki Abborrtjärnsberg och Ritamäki är två finngårdar i Torsby kommun som är skyddade som naturreservat. De ingår också i Natura 2000-nätverket, EU:s nätverk av skyddade områden. Den här broschyren handlar om naturvärden i finngårdarnas slåtter- marker. Du kan läsa mer om historik och kulturvärden i områdena på Länsstyrelsens webbsida eller hos Finnkulturcentrum i Torsby.

Abborrtjärnsberg and Ritamäki The county council has restored some of the Abborrtjärnsberg and Ritamäki are two Finn mowed meadows at Abborrtjärnsberg and homesteads in Torsby municipality, which are Ritamäki as part of the project Foder och Fägring protected as nature reserves. They are also part of – restoration of pastures and meadows in central the EU network of protected areas, Natura 2000. Sweden, which was financed by the EU envi- This brochure is about the natural values ronmental fund LIFE+. Please visit the project found in the mowed meadows of the home- website to read about more mowed meadows and steads. You can find out more about the history pastures that have been restored. and cultural values of these areas at the county council website or at the Finnish culture centre in Torsby.

Länsstyrelsen Värmland, 651 86 Karlstad, 010-224 70 00 www.lansstyrelsen.se/varmland