Lille Vildmose
56.84296364833310.261230468889Koordinaten: 56 ° 50 '35 " N, 10 ° 15' 40" E
Lille Vildmosen ( Small Wild Moor ) is an approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Aalborg, located in the north of Jutland high moor that large parts of the area between the hills of Himmerlands in the west and a small hill at Toft ( Tofte Banke ) near the coast of the Kattegat in the east covered.
Current situation
Of the former 5,000 acres of its original size are still about 2,000 acres in its natural state. Thus, the area is the largest intact raised bog complex in the deciduous forest zone of north European Plain. The vegetation of the raised bog area is dominated by different Sphagnum species, cotton grass and dwarf shrubs. Only few show low bog birch and mountain pines. The center of the bog is dominated by dry tussocks and wet hollows. On the edge of the moor are moist, nutrient-poor sections to meet with acidic soils, which are called Laggzone. Here next to moor grass grow birches and alders. This zone is in some well preserved, as is the case rather rare even in natural bogs.
Overall, the peat has a thickness of 5 m in the undisturbed, southern bog section. In the north of the area the thickness is most often between 1.50 m and 2 m. East of Kongstedlund are the lakes Lillesø and Toftesø, in the area of today Vildemosegård the now dried-up lakes and Birkesø Møllesø. Originally there were still other lakes in Vildmosen, but all are silted.
Genesis
Under the peat of the bog are coastal deposits of the Littorina sea that covered the area about 7,000 years ago. About 2,500 years ago, this part of the sea but was cut off by spits and beach ridges from the Kattegat and there was a brackish water lagoon.
In the course of the ongoing land uplift the lagoon was completely cut off from the sea and evolved into a shallow lake with dense reed vegetation. In higher ground shore area gradually arose a forest area where the immigrant species alder, birch, oak and pine dominated. Over time, changed the character of the vegetation, because the climate was more humid. The reed was especially relieved of peat moss, cranberry and bogbean. A little later wandered among others heather, bell heather, crowberry and bog - cotton grass.
The beginning of the bog formation can be dated to around 500 AD. Until the 18th century peat was largely unaffected by human intervention, which has since been continually taking place in the form of drainage, peat extraction and land reclamation for agriculture, to the remains of the moor were asked towards the end of the 20th century under protection. However, peat is removed for recycling as sphagnum even today. Formation of peat takes place only in the southern portion of the high moor.
Visit opportunities and nature observation
Entering the area on public roads is permitted. There are regular guided walks through the area instead (see link to the information center Vildmosegård ). Areas north of Toftesø and Lillesø and restored areas north and east of the Torfabbaugebiete are resting and breeding areas of many bird species, including marsh harrier, Montagu's harrier, crane and a large breeding colony of cormorants. In the south of the area, near the coast and north of Helberskov directly at the highway 541 is an observation tower, which is well suited for bird watching.
Information Centre
On the farm Vildmosegård a natural and cultural history center with further information about the marsh is established.