The Nature Reserve () is a nature reserve located in the municipalities of Sorsele and Storuman in Västerbotten County of Swedish Lapland. It is the largest natural reserve in Sweden and one of the largest protected areas in Europe, totaling 562,772 ha (approx. 5,628 km2).
Most of the reserve is made up of several Scandinavian Mountains, the main ones being Artfjället, Norra Storfjället, Ammarfjället and Björkfjället. Most of the landscapes of the Swedish mountains are represented. This ranges from the pronounced alpine character of Norra Storfjället, which includes the highlight of the reserve, the Norra Sytertoppen (1,768 m), to the plateau and plains near the base of the mountains. The differences in elevation highlight the diversity of rocks in the mountains. Among the mountains are the valleys and waterways of the Ume River drainage basin. This includes a portion of the Vindel River, after which the reserve is named. Towards the east, the elevation decreases and the mountains give way to the Lapland Plains.
This landscape diversity also includes biodiversity. The reserve covers the primary forests of the Nordic taiga in the eastern plains to alpine tundra and birch forests in the west. In addition, it houses a large number of wetlands, which are home to an abundance of bird species, especially at Marsivagge and around the lake Tärnasjön, the latter recognized as a Ramsar site. The mountains are also home to the arctic fox, a critically endangered species in Scandinavia and one of the symbols of the reserve.
The region has been populated since the end of the last ice age or about 9000 years. Originally, it was inhabited by speakers of Paleo-Laplandic Languages, who were not Sámi or Norse, likely descendants of the Scandinavian Hunter Gatherers. They initially lived by gathering and hunting, especially deer, but over time the material culture shifted to one based on breeding and ranching, showing evidence of transhumance movements. This shift is associated with the introduction of Sámi place names and culture; though this lifestyle left few traces, but some traps, old foundations, tombs and various artifacts have been found scattered throughout the landscape. Although partly translated into Swedish, geographic names in the region offer some information on the life and culture of the Sámi. The Swedes started to colonize the area in the eighteenth century, encouraged by incentives from the state. The population in the current reserve boundaries, however, remained minimal. In the middle of the twentieth century, the hydroelectric industry expanded to the north of the country and tried to exploit the Vindel River for electric power, but environmental protests managed to protect the river and its watershed. In 1974, the reserve was established, protecting the unspoiled nature of the mountains of Vindel River watershed. In 1988, the reserve was extended to protect the primary forests of the foothills. Recently there has been discussions regarding transforming the nature reserve into a national park to improve the protection of the area.
In addition to the inhabitants, the reserve sees considerable activity from tourists both in winter and summer. Hiking is one of the main activities, especially along the well known Kungsleden trail, which crosses the reserve along its length. The summer roads are also often used for cross-country ski trails or snowmobile trails in winter. Finally many ecotourism activities are offered by various tourism businesses. Besides tourism, traditional activities such as reindeer herding, by the Sámi, and hunting and fishing are still practiced. Finally, the mountains are widely used for scientific research, which is facilitated by the presence of an on-site research station.
Toponymy The word Vindel derives from the word vindill, which is similar to , the Swedish verb meaning to turn or change direction, probably in reference to the meandering nature of the Vindel river. In Swedish Vindelfjällen means 'the Vindel mountains', which is reasonable given that the Vindel River has its source in these mountains.
As in other areas of the Lapland mountains, the reserve has a number of Sámi names. However, unlike the mountains further North, here they live among places with numerous Swedish names. For example, the words ('mountain'), ('lake'), ('river'), etc. are frequently seen. This is a result of early Swedish settlers translating Sámi names into Swedish as well as these settlers naming previously unnamed geographic features.
Geography
Location and boundaries The reserve is located in the municipalities of Sorsele and Storuman in the northwest of Västerbotten County and in the south of the historic province of Lapland, Sweden. It forms approximately a rectangle extended in a predominantly east-west axis. The western boundary is the Norwegian border, while its northern border is the border with Norrbotten County, located approximately along the crest of the Björkfjället mountain range. This rectangle is fragmented by two roads that are excluded from the reserve. To the west, the European route E12, of which this section is called ('the blue route'), cuts the reserve into two parts, isolating the Artfjället mountain range from the rest of the reserve. To the east, Länsväg (equivalent of "county road") 363 penetrates deep into the Vindelälven valley to Ammarnäs and thus creates a notch in the reserve. In total, the reserve has an area of 562,772 hectares (over 5,600 km2), making it the largest nature reserve in Sweden and one of the largest protected areas in Europe. The reserve Vindelfjällen is bordered to the northeast by the Laisdalen Nature Reserve (Laisdalen fjällurskog) in the County of Norrbotten. The Pieljekaise National Park (Sweden) and the Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park (Norway) are also nearby.
Relief
The Vindelfjällen reserve includes most types of Swedish landscapes; mountains, high plains to alpine peaks, passing through plateaus or rounded profile mountain ranges.
At the heart of the alpine region of the reserve is the Norra Storfjället mountain range. This mountain range includes the highest peaks, including Norra Sytertoppen, which from its height of 1,768 m is the highest point of the reserve as well as Västerbotten County. Other notable peaks of the mountain range are Måskostjakke (1,690 m) and Södra Sytertoppen (1685 m). The mountain range is cut down the middle by the narrow, deep valley of Syterskalet/Viterskalet, which is one of the icons of the reserve and is sometimes compared to the famous Lapporten by its symmetrical profile.(sv) "Vindelfjällen", sur Svenska Turistföreningen (consulté le 1er mars 2013)
The rest of the reserve consists of rolling hills and numerous emerging mountain ranges. At the western end of the reserve is that of Artfjället, culminating at 1,471 m. Artfjället consists of several sharp mountain ridges, as well as some rounded peaks. Centrally in the reserve is the Ammarfjället mountain range, with a peak plateau reaching its maximum at Rerrogaise (1,611 m). northeast, the Björkfjället mountain range forms the border of the reserve and the county. All in all, it has an average altitude of 800–900 m with the highest peak within the reserve being Vuorektjåkkå (1,245 m).p. 21
Intersecting the various mountain ranges are several valleys and lowlands. One of the main valleys of the reserve is the Vindelälven River Valley, although the entire section south of Ammarnäs is largely excluded from the reserve. The northern section of the valley is quite sunken, surrounded by the Ammarfjället and Björkfjället mountain ranges and the valley widens when approaching Ammarnäs. The lowest point of the reserve, at 345 m above sea level, is located south of the valley, at the shores of Lake Storvindeln. At the center of the reserve is another large area of low altitude around Lake Tärnasjön. The terrain is flat, which has led to the formation of a vast network of wetlands.
Finally, going east, in the sections added during the extension of the reserve in 1988, the altitude gradually decreases to reach the plain.p. 21
Climate The climate of the reserve has important contrasts. The western part is strongly influenced by humid air from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. It brings more mild temperatures in winter, while maintaining freshness in summer. The nearby Atlantic also provides a significant amount of rainfall. But the Norra Storfjället and mountains in its continuity to the north together with the Ammarfjället mountain range protect the eastern part of the reserve from the prevailing winds from west/southwest. This blocks the oceanic influence and creates a more continental climate. Thus, the Ammarnäs region, located in the rain shadow, receives less than 600 mm of precipitation per year, whereas Hemavan, not far away but located on the western side of Norra Storfjället, receives about 750 mm. In the mountains themselves, the amount of precipitation reaches 1200 mm in places. The growing season in Sweden, defined as the number of days when the average temperature exceed 5 °C, is about 120 days. Because of cooler temperatures, much of this precipitation is in the form of snow. The first snow fall, on average, is in early October in the middle of the valleys and snow cover usually persists until early June.(sv)"Normal sista dag med snötäcke, medelvärde" , sur Institut suédois de météorologie et d'hydrologie (SMHI) (consulté le 1er mars 2013)
Hydrography
The Vindelfjällen mountains have a rich river system flowing through it. The reserve covers a large part of the mountainous section of the Ume River watershed and protects the Vindel River, the main tributary of the watershed. The Vindel River is one of four "national rivers" with the Torne River, Kalix River and the Pite River: four great rivers of northern Sweden whose watershed is fully protected against the construction of dams and whose flow is currently unregulated. The Vindel River forms a large number of rapids upstream from Ammarnäs.
There are several other major rivers in the reserve. The Tjulån River originates at the Tjulträsk lakes and joins the Vindel River in Ammarnäs. The Juktån River passes the great lake Överst Juktan and continues outside the reserve to Ume River for a total length of 170 km. Finally the Tärnaån River originates at Lake Tärnasjön before joining into the Ume River just outside the reserve. The Ume River itself is located outside the reserve, between the Artfjället mountain ranges and the rest of the reservedonnées recueillies sur cette carte and unlike the rivers within the reserve, its waters have been regulated and used for hydroelectric power.
The reserve has several lakes, the largest of which often have an elongated shape, following the topography of the valleys. The two largest lakes are Överst-Juktan and Tärnasjön, both measuring about 20 km long. The Tärnasjön is particularly notable for the large number of small islands in the southern third of the lake, forming a mosaic of water and forest, which extends south of the lake to one of the largest wetlands reserves. Another vast wetland, Laivamyren, is located north of the lake. It covers no less than 20 km2 and includes the remains of the southernmost palsas of Sweden. Another wetland of importance, though less extensive, is Marsivagge in Ammarfjället mountain range. Finally, many wetlands are scattered in areas of lower elevations in the east.
Finally, water is found in the form of glaciers in areas where the altitude exceeds 1,600 m, or in other words, in the Norra Storfjället mountain range and more locally in Ammarfjället. Glacier names include Murtserglaciären, Måskonåiveglaciären, Norra Syterglaciären, Tärnaglaciären, Östra and Västra Skrapetjakkeglaciären, and Östra Syterglaciären, all of which have been studied since the late nineteenth century.p. 21
Geology
Formation