Skogsbetesmarkernas utveckling och restaureringspotential i Norra Ny socken, Värmland

: Historiska förändringar, nutida värden och framtida möjligheter

Abstract

The study has investigated the historical use of forest pastures in Swedish forest regions, with a focus on mountain pasture areas, and how these pastures have changed over time. Through analysis of historical maps, the development from the 19th century to today has been mapped in the Norra Ny parish, located on both sides of the Klarälvdalen river in northern Värmland. The results show that Norra Ny parish's mountain pasture farming had the largest spread during the late 19th century, which then decreased drastically during the 20th century. The results indicate that 2311.1 hectares in Norra Ny parish have good potential for the restoration of forest pastures, particularly in larger connected areas. Many of the identified restoration areas overlap with protected nature reserves, where free development is often prioritized over the management of culturally influenced nature. Many protected areas do not describe the biological cultural heritage or the previous outland farming in the area, which poses a threat to the previously cultivated nature. This can be seen in the two areas that have been examined more closely: both Munkebolssätern and Bäckelbergssätern have good restoration potential, but the landscape perspective has been overlooked and the cultural-historical value has been limited. By restoring forest pastures, both biodiversity can be promoted and the area's cultural history can be strengthened.

Date of Award	2025-Jun
Original language	Swedish
Supervisor	Joachim Regnéll (Supervisor), Ulf Eriksson (Supervisor) & Carl Regnéll (Examiner)