Finnsboskogen, Naturreservat

Finnsboskogen is a forest reserve located next to the river Sennan. Deciduous swamp forest grows on the slopes down to the river. In the forest above the slope, it is the oak that dominates. There are no marked trails in the area, but above the slopes there is a well-trodden path to walk on.

Visitors who find their way to Finnsboskogen can enjoy wandering in a secluded area and only hear the sound of birds chirping and the wind rustling in the trees. There are also opportunities to watch birds or study mosses and lichens. The ground is wet on the slopes and it is quite difficult to get down to Sennanån this way. In the northeastern part of the slope, however, the ground is a little drier, here you can go down if you have rubber boots. There is also a road by Sennanån, directly east of the reserve boundary that takes you down to the watercourse.

Swampy and wet on the slopes

The slopes are swampy and wet. This is due to spring water seeping up from the ground. The water overflows and, in some places, it also collects in the ground and becomes wet, soft and boggy soil. This marshy and wet environment is of great importance for the forest's animals and plants. Species such as downy moss and shadow moss live in Finnsboskogen. These are signal species that show that we are in a valuable forest.

Valuable mosses

Along the Sennanån river there are also alder lichens that have a very high signal value for alder forests in southwestern Sweden. Other interesting species that can be found in the area include woodland hedge moss, lacquer tick, violet spindle, sedge, blue moss and wavy silk moss. Flowering herbs such as brook sedge, sedge and marsh thistle also grow alongside the river. The reserve is home to the common robin, a bird species that is classified as near threatened. The robin is dependent on older, varied forests with older trees and dead wood.

History of the forest

At the end of the 17th century, the valley along Sennan was an open landscape with meadows and heathland. At that time, the area was part of Jordbo's inland fields in Enslöv parish. In the north-western part of the reserve there are small cairns. These cairns indicate that the land was once used as a field. When the farmers of old would clear an area of fields, they removed the stones that were in the way of cultivation and placed them in the cairns. With the help of spades, shovels and manual labor, stones have long been removed from the fields.

Grazing stopped and the forest took over

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area consisted of sparse deciduous forest and the animals grazed in the forest. In the latter part of the 20th century, the area ceased to be used as meadow and pasture land and the forest has since grown denser and denser.