Marstad nature reserve

Nature reserve

In Marstad, the soil is rich in lime. When the last ice age was melting away from Sweden, it lingered a little longer in this area. While waiting for a change in the weather, a lot of lime-rich sand and gravel was deposited, shaping the hilly landscape. On the hills of Marstad, a so-called calcareous dry meadow flora grows.

A large ice block that broke loose remained in place for a long time. When the ice block eventually melted, it had created a depression in its place, a so-called dead ice hole. Today, Marstadsjön (Marstad Lake) is located in the depression. The land around the lake is wet and moist from calcium-rich water. Here, a special calcium swamp flora has developed.

Among the willow bushes, you can find orchids such as the meadow tongue and the waxed tongue that bloom in June. Just before the haymaking in September, the delicate white hay flower blooms together with violet meadow beddings. The calcium swamp and the calcium dry meadows offer a summery floral experience that we can enjoy thanks to the management of the area with mowing and grazing animals.

A bit harder to spot are the unusual small snails, the calcareous marsh grain snail and the narrow grain snail, which hide among the tufts in the marsh. The yellow-bellied giant soldier fly is also a rare elusive species that specializes in small springs with calcareous water.

Marstad nature reserve is part of the Marstad Natura 2000 area.