Risön

Risön shows how humans have used grassland in various ways at different times. In the 17th century, the island was used as meadowland. Its low-lying areas consisted of cleared marshes, while dry meadows were located on the higher ground, where deciduous trees also grew. Hay production yielded roughly five lass each year.

Risön has never been inhabited, but two hay barns were once located on the island. Meadow cultivation continued here until agriculture changed radically in the 19th century, when, as elsewhere, Risön’s meadows were abandoned in favour of hay production on fertilised arable land. For this purpose, two fields were established on the island, at the same time as the cleared marshes were allowed to return
to nature.

The problem of transporting draught horses and tools to the island, coupled with rising wages, led to the
fields being abandoned in the 1920s. Instead, Risön was used for pasture. Over time this was abandoned, too, and the fields gradually became overgrown.

At the turn of the millennium, the Academy and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences restored and recreated the grasslands. In preparation, a bridge was built from the mainland, which also allowed visitors to come to the island. Today, Risön is used for pasture, just as it was in the past. This benefits the biodiversity of its many plants, which rely on grazing and mowing.

Several dead trees, mainly oaks, remain standing and others have been left where they fell. This dead wood benefits insects and birds. In the past, of course, no such tree would have been left in a meadow. Everything of value was exploited, and dead trees usually became firewood. Risön today thus reflects both the island’s history and modern conservation ideals.

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