Much of Sweden's Söderåsen plateau became more open in the 18th and 19th centuries; in 2001, 1,625 hectares were protected as a national park, and today it is one of northern Europe's largest continuous protected broadleaf forests

1. Much of Sweden’s Söderåsen plateau was once far more open than the dense woodland visitors see today. A 2025 study published in The Holocene found that the landscape became much more open during the 18th and 19th centuries as grazing intensified, with grazed heathland developing on parts of the plateau. Today, the picture is dramatically different. Söderåsen National Park, established in 2001, protects 1,625 hectares of the landscape and is now described as one of northern Europe’s largest continuous protected broadleaf forests.

From forest to open heath