Älmås Phase Probably Lasted for Several Hundred Years
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as early as the 6th century BC. This prehistoric cultivation of the pastures. Older examples feature interesting moss and Welcome to Älmås phase probably lasted for several hundred years. The next mushroom flora with ulota crispa and chanterelle mushrooms. time Älmås would see farming would be in the high medieval Cairns and stone walls surround old fields and meadows. Nature Reserve! period, during the 13th or early 14th century. Excavations Deciduous trees grow between the fields. Unusual lichens and have revealed a period of regrowth during the latter part of mosses grow on many of them. Lobaria pulmonaria, gyalecta Beautiful Älmås provides an opportunity to the 14th century and the 15th century. This was probably due ulmi, and homalothecium sericeum are just some of the spe- to the Black Death. Cultivation resumed in the early 16th cies found in the reserve. experience a traditional agricultural landscape, century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Älmås took on the with plenty of reminders as to how farming character of a small-scale farming landscape, due in part to communities looked in our ancestors’ day. the character of the landscape. The fields are rocky and simply unsuited to modern methods. Purpose of the reserve Älmås is a treasure trove of cultural history and has a very Biology high natural value. Old agricultural environments were much Meadows fan out along the old road that cuts through the re- more varied than they are today. Many species would have serve. The road probably has roughly the same route as it did struggled to survive without the special spaces created for in the late 16th century. The meadows are grazed and cut. them within the old farming landscape. Our objective is not This benefits species that were once common in the cultural to recreate how the landscape looked at one specific time, but landscape. Viper’s grass, mountain arnica, breckland thyme, to show how it looked before the dawn of modern agricul- and alpine bistort are just some of the plants that benefit from ture. We will: the customs of the reserve, where hazel bushes adorn many • preserve and recreate environments that are of interest from a cultural history perspective Recreation • preserve the area’s natural environments so that their The reserve offers good recreation opportunities. By following natural value is maintained and strengthened our short trail, you can get a good overview of the reserve. • develop Älmås as a recreation area and cultural-histori- There is a slightly longer trail crossing Svarttjärn, where there cal study object is a cabin where you can rest and have a barbecue. Valuable reminders of the ancient farming landscape To the west of the reserve is an area once part of the village of Pålsbo. Cultivation first took place here from the 11th to 12th century. However, the land in Älmås was cultivated How to get to Älmås Älmås is located off Riksväg 27, six kilometres south- Nature reserve in the City of Borås east of central Borås. Follow the signs from Riksväg 27. The nearest bus stop is Hagadalen, which is 200 meters from the reserve. Borgstena Älmås Fristad Hedared Bredared Sparsör Rångedala Frufällan Sandhult Tosseryd Äspered Ekås Sjömarken BORÅS Dalsjöfors Sandared Gånghester Målsryd Dannike Bosnäs Rydboholm Älmås Aplared Viskafors Svaneholm Kinnarumma Map from the 17th century. Agriculture in the past For everyone’s enjoyment and to In simple terms it can be said that Älmås’s past agriculture preserve the natural value of the consisted of cultivated fields where crops - usually grain, rye, and oats - were harvested. The meadows were left unfertilised reserve, the following rules apply: and were cut to provide food for the animals over the winter. • Do not damage or remove live or dead trees, twigs, or parts The fields and meadows were located close to the settlement of plants other than berries and ground mushrooms. and were cut off as glades. Deciduous trees and bushes were • Do not collect, dig up, or pick plants or animals. dotted over the unusable land. The glades were surrounded • Do not pitch a tent or set up a caravan other than at by woodland to prevent animals from entering. Instead, the locations designated by the administrator. animals were sent out to graze in the surrounding woodland. • Do not make a fire other than in designated places. Once the inner fields were harvested, the animals could graze • Do not drive vehicles anywhere other than on existing roads. there too. Cattle were of the greatest importance. There were • Do not ride anywhere other than on existing roads. horses, sheep, and pigs in Älmås as well. Their manure was used • Do not allow dogs off their leash. to fertilise the fields. • Do not put up signs, posters, or the like. Postal address Borås Stad, Tekniska förvaltningen, SE-501 80 Borås, Sweden Phone 033-35 74 00 E-mail [email protected] Web site boras.se Photos Dag05 Ekelund och10 Kjell15 Johansson20 25 Maps Naturcentrum AB, 2016/Carina Lindkvist, SamhällsbyggnadsförvaltningenKilometer Graphic design Borås kommuntryckeri Printing Stema specialtryck AB, 2018 Älmås Nature Reserve was established in 2006 and protects 35 hectares 1 Pålsbo’s glades 7 Per’s glade 8 Pollarded trees 13 2,500-year-old fields Arable land that was cultivated for many hundreds of years, until To start with, this area belonged to the open woodland. Then in In the past, many deciduous trees were cut every few years. This is The fields were probably first cleared in the sixth century BC. 1990. the early 19th century a small glade was established. The arable known as pollarding The leaves and twigs were turned into food Cultivation appears to have ceased after a few hundred years, before land was expanded towards the end of that century, but cultivation for the livestock. New trees are pollarded to mimic the old cultural restarting in the 13th century. Älmås was most likely badly hit by 2 Farming area from the Viking Age ceased in the 1940s. landscape. Ash trees are commonly pollarded. the Black Death during the second half of the 14th century, but the There are many low stone mounds here. These are called cairns. By fields were brought back into use in the middle of the 15th century the end of the Viking Age (around the start of the 12th century) the 9 Älmås - house foundations and have continued to be used right up to modern times. land was being cultivated here. Cultivation continued for several We’re now where the farms of old Älmås once stood. There have centuries. been houses here since at least the 17th century. The house north of 14 Old road the road was demolished in the early 1960s. The gravel road that cuts through the reserve has been around for a 3 Present-day fields long time. Although the road has been modernised, the route itself These fields were worked for much of the 20th century. 10 Maple with Lobaria pulmonaria is very old and features on a map that is almost 400 years old. There are many protected lichens in the nature reserve. One species 4 Cultivated wetlands that’s easy to recognise is Lobaria pulmonaria. 15 Deciduous forest in the nature reserve This long, narrow field was partly a bog in the middle of the What are now deciduous forests were often meadowland. Linden 19th century. The building of dykes made it possible to 11 Fields and meadows north of the road and ash are two valuable species. cultivate the land. Despite the dyke, the land remained During Älmås’s oldest period, the area was predominantly meadow- waterlogged and cultivation ceased in the 1940s. land. Between 1800 and 1940, the area was farmed. After that, the 16 Can you see the meadowland? area was grazed by animals. The surface was meadow and pasture. In the middle of the 19th 5 Old stone walls century dykes were built and the area was cultivated. It’s not easy to Many of the stone walls can be identified on a map from 1869. 12 Is the tawny owl at home? see now when you’re standing in front of this hundred-year-old pine It’s not certain how old the oldest stone walls are. In a hollow old tree, a tawny owl has made a home. Can you see it forest. today? 6 Älmås - house foundations 17 Valuable fields Although there has been a house here since at least For many hundreds of years, the land belonging to Pålsbo has been 1815, there was no farm during the cultivated, cut, and grazed. There are many interesting species such oldest period. The house was de- as beckland thyme, heath grass, alpine bistort, mountain arnica, molished in the early 1960s. Nardus stricta, and viper’s grass. Lake Svarttjärn 3 2 Borås 1 17 Old field with cairns Pålsbo 4 Reserve boundary 16 5 Marked trail 2.4 km 15 Älmås 14 6 Marked trail 4.4 km 13 11 10 12 9 7 Other trails 8 N Signs in swedish (trees) Information Car park RV 27 Rest area with tables Barbecue area Windbreak Bus stop Toilet (summertime) Växjö 0 100 200 300 400 500 m Map: Carina Lindkvist, Naturcentrum AB 2016.