Sarek National Park
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Sarek National Park () is a
national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in
Jokkmokk Municipality Jokkmokk Municipality (, , , ) is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Jokkmokk. The name ''Jokkmokk'' is Sami for the words "river" and "bend", since the town is situated close to a bend in the nearby r ...
, Lapland in northern Sweden. Established in 1909, the park is among the oldest national parks in Europe. It is adjacent to two other national parks, namely Stora Sjöfallet and Padjelanta. The shape of Sarek National Park is roughly circular with an average diameter of about . The most noted features of the national park are six of Sweden's thirteen peaks over located within the park's boundaries. Among these is the second highest mountain in Sweden,
Sarektjåkkå Sarektjåkkå is the second highest mountain in Sweden and the highest mountain in the Laponian area at AMSL. However its mountain peak is the 3:rd highest mountain peak in Sweden, because the two highest peaks in Sweden belongs to the mountain ...
,and
Áhkká , ), is a massif in the southwestern corner of Stora Sjöfallet National Park in northern Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It b ...
which is located just outside the park. The park has about 200 mountains over , 82 of which have names. Sarek is also the name of a geographical area which the national park is part of. The Sarek mountain district includes a total of eight peaks over . Due to the long trek, the mountains in the district are seldom climbed. There are approximately 100 glaciers in Sarek National Park. Sarek is a popular area for hikers and mountaineers. Beginners in these disciplines are advised to accompany a guide since there are no marked trails or accommodations and only two bridges aside from those in the vicinity of its borders. The area is among those that receives the heaviest rainfall in Sweden, making hiking dependent on weather conditions. It is also intersected by
turbulent In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers with no disruption between ...
streams that are hazardous to cross without proper training. The
delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
of the
Rapa River The Rapa River ( and ) is a tributary of the Lesser Lule River in north Norrland, in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The river stretches 75 km from its source to the mouth of Lake Tjaktjajaure (477 amsl). At the mouth of Lake Laitaure (''Laidaur ...
is considered one of Europe's most noted views and the summit of mount Skierfe offers an overlook of that ice-covered,
glacial A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
, through valley. The Pårte Scientific Station in Sarek (also known as the ''Pårte observatory'') was built in the early 1900s by Swedish
mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...
and
geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
Axel Hamberg Axel Hamberg (17 January 1863 – 28 June 1933) was a Swedish mineralogist, geographer and explorer. Biography Hamberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the son of Nils Peter Hamberg (1815-1902) and Emma Augusta Christina Härnström (18 ...
. All the building material for the huts had to be carried to the site by
porters Porters may refer to: * Porters, Virginia, an unincorporated community in Virginia, United States * Porters, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in Wisconsin, United States * Porters Ski Area, a ski resort in New Zealand * Porters (TV series), '' ...
.


Names of locations

In Sarek National Park, as in the most of Sápmi, a large number of the locations have names originating from the
Sami languages Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
. These languages have several variations and their written forms have changed over time, which explains why some placenames do not always correspond with each other in different sources. The most common Sami names for locations or features in the park are ''tjåkkå'' or ''tjåkko'' (mountain), ''vagge'' (valley), ''jåkkå'' or ''jåkko'' (stream), ''lako'' (plateau) and ''ätno'' (river). An example of this is ''Rapaätno'', meaning
Rapa River The Rapa River ( and ) is a tributary of the Lesser Lule River in north Norrland, in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The river stretches 75 km from its source to the mouth of Lake Tjaktjajaure (477 amsl). At the mouth of Lake Laitaure (''Laidaur ...
. These names are also the official Swedish names of the locations.


Geography


Location and borders

Sarek National Park is situated in the
Jokkmokk Municipality Jokkmokk Municipality (, , , ) is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Jokkmokk. The name ''Jokkmokk'' is Sami for the words "river" and "bend", since the town is situated close to a bend in the nearby r ...
,
Norrbotten County Norrbotten County (, Meänkieli/, ) is the northernmost county or '' län'' of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden's total area. It shares borders with Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf ...
, Sweden, north of the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...
, from the Norwegian border. The area of the park is and it is adjacent to the national parks Padjelanta (in the west) and Stora Sjöfallet (in the north). The parks have a combined area of approximately . There are also a number of
nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
s nearby.


Topography

Sarek National Park is the most mountainous region in Sweden and it is the part of the country that mostly resembles an alpine countryside. Within the park are 19 summits higher than , the most noted being the second highest summit in Sweden after the
Kebnekaise Kebnekaise (; from Sami language, Sami or , "Cauldron Crest") is the highest mountain in Sweden. The Kebnekaise massif, which is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, Scandinavian mountain range, has two main peaks. The glaciated southern peak use ...
– the
Sarektjåkkå Sarektjåkkå is the second highest mountain in Sweden and the highest mountain in the Laponian area at AMSL. However its mountain peak is the 3:rd highest mountain peak in Sweden, because the two highest peaks in Sweden belongs to the mountain ...
with a height of . The lowest altitude in the park is found in the southwest, near Lake Rittakjaure, at . The park is made up of three types of landscape, sometimes difficult to differentiate between: large valleys, massive mountains, and high plateaux. The largest valley of the park, which is also the most noted, is the Rapa Valley. This valley occupies of the park, including several branches, the most important of which are the Sarvesvagge, which climbs as far as Padjelanta, the Kuopervagge — with an area of nearly  — and the Ruotesvagge, surrounded by numerous glaciers, including those of Mount Sarektjåkkå. Among the other notable valleys, outside the Rapadalen network, are the Kukkesvagge that makes up the north-eastern border of the park, and the Njåtsosvagge near the southern border. The largest plateau is the Ivarlako, east of the Pårte
massif A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
, with an altitude starting at . West of Pårte, the Luottolako plateau covers an area of and has an even higher altitude at . Interspersed between the valleys and the plateaux, are massive mountains, often with several summits. The main ones are: *Sarektjåkkå, highest point: Stortoppen, *Pårte, Pårtetjåkkå, *Piellorieppe, Kåtokkaskatjåkkå, *Ålkatj, (Akkatjåkko, *Äpar, *Skårki, *Ruotes,


Climate


Hydrography

The park's main river is the Rapa River (''Rapaätno''). It originates from the
glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
s of Sarektjåkkå and runs down the Rapa Valley as far as Lake Laitaure, and continues outside the park, where it joins with the
Lesser Lule River The Lesser Lule River () is a tributary of the Lule River in north Norrland, in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The river, which is entirely within the municipality of Jokkmokk, is 238 km long, with a drainage basin of approximately 9800 km ...
which becomes a tributary of the
Lule River Lule River (, , ''Luleälven'') is a major river in Sweden, rising in northern Sweden and flowing southeast for before reaching the Gulf of Bothnia at Luleå. It is the second largest river by watershed area and length in Norrbotten County (afte ...
at its confluence. This river is fed by thirty glaciers, contributing to a significant flow. The specific flow, the ratio between the average flow and the
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
, from these waters, is the most significant in Sweden. The flow fluctuates strongly with the seasons, having an average of 100 m3⋅s−1 in July and about 4 m3⋅s−1 in winter, resulting in an average annual flow of approximately 30 m3⋅s−1. The river also transports a significant quantity of
sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
. In summer, it can carry up to of sediment daily. In winter it only carries a few tons every day, resulting in an annual total of . The sediment gives the river a grey-green colour and forms large
deltas A river delta is a landform, wikt:archetype#Noun, archetypically triangular, created by the deposition (geology), deposition of the sediments that are carried by the waters of a river, where the river merges with a body of slow-moving water or ...
. The main delta is formed at the confluence of the Rapaätno with its principal tributary, the river Sarvesjokk. Just before the confluence, the river
braids A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...
for nearly , forming a zone called Rapaselet. The most noted of the deltas – and an emblem of the park – is the Laitaure delta (''Laitauredeltat''), which the river forms as it connects with Lake Laitaure. The other significant rivers correspond to the principal valleys listed above. Most of them make up the drainage basin of Lesser Lule River. The rivers in the north part of the park flow into Lake
Akkajaure Akkajaure (from ) is one of the largest reservoirs in Sweden. It lies at the headwaters of the Lule River in Norrbotten County Norrbotten County (, Meänkieli/, ) is the northernmost county or '' län'' of Sweden. It is also the largest cou ...
, in the Stora Sjöfallet National Park, forming part of the hydrographic network of Lule älv. The park also contains several lakes. The largest are the Alkajaure (altitude ), on the border between the Sarek and the Padjelanta park, and the Pierikjaure (altitude ) near the Stora Sjöfallet National Park. File:Rapaselet-from-piellorieppe.jpg, Rapaselet File:Rapaselet (1994-09-03).jpg, Skyview of Rapaselet File:Laitaure ASTER 2002-08-09.jpg, The river delta of Laitaure


Geology


Formation

The Sarek National Park lies within the
Scandinavian Mountains The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the fjords of Norway, whereas to th ...
, a mountain chain whose origin is still a matter of debate. The rocks of the Scandinavian Mountains were put in place by the
Caledonian orogeny The Caledonian orogeny was a mountain-building cycle recorded in the northern parts of the British Isles, the Scandinavian Caledonides, Svalbard, eastern Greenland and parts of north-central Europe. The Caledonian orogeny encompasses events tha ...
, forming a belt of deformed and displaced rocks now known as the
Scandinavian Caledonides The Scandinavian Caledonides are the vestiges of an ancient, today deeply eroded orogenic belt formed during the Silurian–Devonian continental collision of Baltica and Laurentia, which is referred to as the Scandian phase of the Caledonian orog ...
. Caledonian rocks overlie rocks of the much older Svecokarelian and Sveconorwegian
provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
. The Caledonian rocks actually form large
nappe In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the ...
s () that have been thrusted over the older rocks. Much of the Caledonian rocks have been eroded since they were put in place meaning that they were once thicker and more contiguous. It is also implyed from the erosion that the nappes of Caledonian rock reached once further east than they do today. The erosion has left remaining massifs of Caledonian rocks and
windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
of Precambrian rock. The Caledonian orogeny resulted from the collision of the
Laurentia Laurentia or the North American craton is a large continental craton that forms the Geology of North America, ancient geological core of North America. Many times in its past, Laurentia has been a separate continent, as it is now in the form of ...
and
Baltica Baltica is a paleocontinent that formed in the Paleoproterozoic and now constitutes northwestern Eurasia, or Europe north of the Trans-European Suture Zone and west of the Ural Mountains. The thick core of Baltica, the East European Craton, i ...
plates Plate may refer to: Cooking * Plate (dishware), broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food * Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining * Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
, 450 to 250 million years ago, with the disappearance of the
Iapetus Ocean The Iapetus Ocean (; ) existed in the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic eras of the geologic timescale (between 600 and 400 million years ago). It was in the southern hemisphere, between the paleocontinents of Laurentia, Baltica and Avalon ...
by
subduction Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second p ...
. This happened just before the formation of the chain and was caused by the appearance of a
rift In geology, a rift is a linear zone where the lithosphere is being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics. Typical rift features are a central linear downfaulted depression, called a graben, or more commonly a half-graben ...
, which finally led to the creation of the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. The chain, once split open, continued to erode until it formed a
peneplain In geomorphology and geology, a peneplain is a low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion. This is the definition in the broadest of terms, albeit with frequency the usage of peneplain is meant to imply the representation of a near-final (or ...
. Starting about 60 million years ago, both the Scandinavian and the North-American sections suffered a
tectonic uplift Tectonic uplift is the orogeny, geologic uplift of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface that is attributed to plate tectonics. While Isostasy, isostatic response is important, an increase in the mean elevation of a region can only occur in response to ...
. It is unclear what causes this and several hypotheses have been presented. One of the theories is the influence of the
Iceland hotspot The Iceland hotspot is a hotspot that is partly responsible for the high volcanic activity that has formed the Iceland Plateau and the island of Iceland. It contributes to understanding the geological deformation of Iceland. Iceland is one ...
which could have raised the crust. Another hypothesis is the
isostasy Isostasy (Greek wikt:ἴσος, ''ísos'' 'equal', wikt:στάσις, ''stásis'' 'standstill') or isostatic equilibrium is the state of gravity, gravitational mechanical equilibrium, equilibrium between Earth's crust (geology), crust (or lithosph ...
related to glaciations caused the uplift. In any of those cases, the uplift allowed the ancient mountain chain to rise several thousand metres. The area of the national park, and the eastern Sarek Mountains in particular, was the last of part of
Fennoscandia __NOTOC__ Fennoscandia (Finnish language, Finnish, Swedish language, Swedish and ; ), or the Fennoscandian Peninsula, is a peninsula in Europe which includes the Scandinavian Peninsula, Scandinavian and Kola Peninsula, Kola peninsulas, mainland ...
to be deglaciated. The last remnants of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet melted there slightly after 9,700 years BP.


Erosion

The mountain chain was renewed and after that it was subjected to a new period of glacial erosion. In the beginning of the
Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
period, 15 million years ago, a significant glacial advance occurred. The glaciers began to grow and move into the valleys where they gradually merged to form an
ice sheet In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacier, glacial ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than . The only current ice sheets are the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. Ice s ...
that covered the entire region. Several further glaciations followed, forming the current landscape, with glacial valleys,
cirque A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...
s,
nunatak A nunatak (from Inuit language, Inuit ) is the summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or glacier that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge. They often form natural pyramidal peaks. Isolated nunataks are also cal ...
s etc. The degree to which the chain was affected by the erosion depended mainly on the structure of the terrain, which explains the diversity in the topography of the area. The topography of Sarek, similar to that of Kebnekaise, is divided into sharply defined zones, particularly in respect to the two neighbouring national parks. This is mainly due to the existence of
diabase Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-gra ...
and
diorite Diorite ( ) is an intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock formed by the slow cooling underground of magma (molten rock) that has a moderate content of silica and a relatively low content of alkali metals. It is Intermediate composition, inter ...
dikes Dyke or dike may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), formations of magma or sediment that cut through and across the layering of adjacent rocks * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess ...
which are more resistant to erosion. The park is intersected by a tangle of dikes created 608 million years ago, an era that probably corresponds with the first appearance of the rift during the formation of the Iapetus ocean. These dikes represent intrusions into the Sarektjåkkå
nappe In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the ...
, which is composed of sediments probably deposited in the rift basin.


Glaciers

The park has over 100 glaciers, making it one of the most glacier-rich areas in Sweden. The glaciers are relatively small, the largest being Pårtejekna in Pårte at . However, some of the others are relatively large for Sweden, since the largest Swedish glacier, Stuorrajekna in Sulitelma (south of Padjelanta), measures . The evolution of the glaciers, particularly that of the Mikka () have been studied since the end of the 19th century, especially by mineralogist and geographer
Axel Hamberg Axel Hamberg (17 January 1863 – 28 June 1933) was a Swedish mineralogist, geographer and explorer. Biography Hamberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the son of Nils Peter Hamberg (1815-1902) and Emma Augusta Christina Härnström (18 ...
. The other glaciers in the park have an evolution similar to that of the Mikka: in 1883 to 1895 they were mostly receding, then advanced a little in 1900 to 1916, after which they started to recede again. Later they stabilised or grew, which was interpreted as being caused by the increase in winter precipitation related to
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
. The effect of the raised summer temperatures has been taken into account when assessing the data. The receding of the glaciers has resumed at a particularly rapid pace during the first years of the 21st century.


Wildlife

According to its WWF classification, Sarek National Park is situated in the Scandinavian Montane Birch forest and grasslands
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
, with a minor section in the
Scandinavian and Russian taiga The Scandinavian and Russian taiga is an ecoregion within the taiga and boreal forests biome as defined by the WWF classification (ecoregion PA0608). It is situated in Northern Europe between tundra in the north and temperate mixed forests in ...
. With regards to the flora and fauna, Sarek does not have a wide variety of species. This is mainly explained by the fact that most of the park, except the south and south-east part, is above the growth-limit of conifers, which is at an altitude of about in this region. Adding to this, unlike most of the region, Sarek National Park has few vast lakes or
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s. A total of approximately 380 species of
vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes (, ) or collectively tracheophyta (; ), are plants that have lignin, lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified Ti ...
s have been found in the park, as well as 182 species of
vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...
s, 24
mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
s, 142
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s, 2
reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
s, 2
amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...
s and 12
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
. Many of these species are on the Swedish
red list The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological sp ...
of
endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
, notably the large carnivores. The vegetation follows a fairly strict
altitudinal zonation Altitudinal zonation (or elevational zonation) in mountainous regions describes the natural layering of ecosystems that occurs at distinct elevations due to varying environmental conditions. Temperature, humidity, soil composition, and solar radi ...
, as a result of the climate, and implying a similar zonation of
fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...
, although this is often less strict.


Montane zone

The montane zones are relatively rare in the park, as its upper limit is about below most altitudes in these northern
latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
s. The flora of this zone is constituted by
old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...
s of conifers, with mainly
Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-gr ...
s and including Norway spruces. The pines can become very tall, particularly those around Lake Rittak, in the south part of the park. The undergrowth is mostly covered with
moss Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...
es and
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...
s, in particular
reindeer lichen ''Cladonia rangiferina'', also known as reindeer cup lichen, reindeer lichen (cf. Sw. ''renlav'') or grey reindeer lichen, is a light-coloured fruticose, cup lichen species in the family Cladoniaceae. It grows in both hot and cold climates in ...
, and also with ''
Vaccinium myrtillus ''Vaccinium myrtillus'' or European blueberry is a Holarctic realm, holarctic species of shrub with edible fruit of blue color, known by the common names bilberry, blaeberry, wimberry, and whortleberry. It is more precisely called common bilberr ...
'', ''
Empetrum nigrum ''Empetrum nigrum'', crowberry, black crowberry, mossberry, or, in western Alaska, Labrador, etc., blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the heather family Ericaceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. Desc ...
'' and cowberry. The Sarek forests are a preferred habitat for numerous species of animals. Among the large carnivores, the
brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...
is particularly frequent in the park and in the neighbouring Stora Sjöfallet. The bear fairly often also ventures into the subalpine region. The
Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is one of the four wikt:extant, extant species within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. It is widely distributed from Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe to Cent ...
, classed as an endangered species in Sweden, is also found around the lakes of Rittak and Laitaure, and is also found in the subalpine forests of Rapa Valley. The
red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...
is relatively frequent, and is gradually extending its territory into the higher zones, where it competes with the
arctic fox The Arctic fox (''Vulpes lagopus''), also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small species of fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Tundra#Arctic tundra, Arctic tundra biome. I ...
. Some small mammals that are frequent in the park are the
European pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and parts of Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red Lis ...
, the
least weasel The least weasel (''Mustela nivalis''), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus ''Mustela,'' Family (biology), family Mustelidae and Order (biology), order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North Ame ...
and the
stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine or ermine, is a species of mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Concern on th ...
. The ermine is also found in the higher regions. The herbivores include a very large number of
moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
as the forests and humid zones provide them with much food. They often grow to an impressive size in the park, with enormous
antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...
s. The birds in Sarek include a number of
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
s, such as the
Ural owl The Ural owl (''Strix uralensis'') is a large nocturnal owl. It is a member of the true owl family, ''Strigidae''. The Ural owl is a member of the genus ''Strix (genus), Strix'', that is also the origin of the family's name under Linnaean taxonom ...
, and
woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family (biology), family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme ...
s, particularly the
Eurasian three-toed woodpecker The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (''Picoides tridactylus'') is a medium-sized woodpecker that is found from northern Europe across northern Asia to Japan. Taxonomy The Eurasian three-toed woodpecker was formally described in 1758 by the Swedi ...
. The
grey-headed chickadee The grey-headed chickadee or Siberian tit (''Poecile cinctus''), formerly ''Parus cinctus'', is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread resident breeder throughout subarctic Scandinavia and the northern Palearctic, and a ...
is also very common, as are the
fieldfare The fieldfare (''Turdus pilaris'') is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and across the Palearctic. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It ...
, the
song thrush The song thrush (''Turdus philomelos'') is a Thrush (bird), thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has four recognised subspecies. Its distinctive Birdsong, song, w ...
and the
redwing The redwing (''Turdus iliacus'') is a bird in the thrush family, Turdidae, native to Europe and the Palearctic, slightly smaller than the related song thrush. Taxonomy and systematics This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1 ...
. Reptiles and amphibians, such as the
viviparous lizard The viviparous lizard or common lizard (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara'') is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other non-marine reptile species, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it give ...
, the
common frog The common frog or grass frog (''Rana temporaria''), also known as the European common frog, European common brown frog, European grass frog, European Holarctic true frog, European pond frog or European brown frog or simply the frog, is a semi ...
and the common European viper, are mostly found in the forests. The vipers of the Rittak region frequently reach remarkable sizes.


Subalpine zone

The
subalpine zone Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...
mostly consists of old-growth
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...
forests. These forests are exceptional in terms of density and richness, making it possible for significant quantities of sediment material to be carried from the mountainside by the runoff and deposited in the watercourses. This kind of transfer is particularly noted in the Rapa Valley. In general, the transition between the conifer forests and the ones consisting of birch is more or less gradual, with the number of birches present in the coniferous forests increasing along with the altitude until the conifers have completely disappeared. The size of the trees also diminishes with increasing altitude. The upper altitude limit for the forests — which is also the
tree line The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...
varies greatly throughout the park, from in the Tjoulta valley to over in the Rapa Valley. The birch forests also contain other species of trees. The number of
rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus'' of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the Himalaya ...
,
grey alder ''Alnus incana'', the grey alder, tag alder or speckled alder, is a species of multi-stemmed, shrubby tree in the birch family, with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Tolerant of wetter soils, it can slowly spread w ...
, trembling poplar and hackberry is relatively high. The alpine blue-sow-thistle is very widespread in this zone and is the food the bears prefer.
Garden angelica ''Angelica archangelica'', commonly known as angelica, garden angelica, wild celery, and Norwegian angelica, is a biennial plant from the family Apiaceae, a subspecies of which is cultivated for its sweetly scented edible stems and roots. Like s ...
also grows in the forests, reaching a height of . Many other plants in this zone can also attain exceptional size. The division between the birch and coniferous forests is relatively blurred, with many of the animal species listed above also present in the subalpine zone. Some small mammals are found more frequently here than in the coniferous forests, particularly several rodents such as the common shrew and the
field vole The short-tailed field vole, short-tailed vole, or simply field vole (''Microtus agrestis'') is a grey-brown vole, around 10 cm in length, with a short tail. It is one of the most common mammals in Europe, with a range extending from the Atl ...
. This is also the
reindeer The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...
s' habitat. The
Sami people Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ...
living within the borders of the park, have domesticated the reindeer that stay in this zone during spring and move up to the alpine zone in summer. Brown bears are common in the valleys of Tjoulta and Rapadalen. However, it is the quantity and variety of birds is that enriches this zone. The
willow warbler The willow warbler (''Phylloscopus trochilus'') is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia. It is strongl ...
, the common redpoll, the brambling, the yellow wagtail, the northern wheatear and the
bluethroat The bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica'') is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher, in the family Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European spe ...
are characteristic of the birch forests. The
willow ptarmigan The willow ptarmigan ( ); ''Lagopus lagopus'') or willow grouse is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known colloquially as awebo bird. The willow ptarmigan breeds in birch and other forests ...
is also more common in this area. The raptors present in the zone are the
merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...
and the
rough-legged buzzard The rough-legged buzzard (Europe) or rough-legged hawk (North America) (''Buteo lagopus'') is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in arctic and subarctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia during the breeding season, and migrates s ...
, which often nests on the cliffs. The
gyrfalcon The gyrfalcon ( or ) (), also abbreviated as gyr, is a bird of prey from the genus ''Falco'' (falcons and kestrels) and the largest species of the family Falconidae. A high-latitude species, the gyrfalcon breeds on the Arctic coasts and tundra, ...
and the
golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
usually prefer lower altitudes, but are nevertheless also found in the park.


Alpine zone

The
alpine zone Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated alpine climate, harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alp ...
is divided into several narrower zones. The first subzone is mostly characterized by
heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
land, with many
alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
s, mosses and lichens, and frequently dense mats of crowberries. Different types of heaths can be distinguished. One type is mostly composed of a mix of alpine clubmoss and alpine bearberry. Cushion pink and Lapland lousewort bring autumn colour to the heaths, which are otherwise fairly monochrome. In the chalky soils of this subzone, the vegetation is very rich and forms
prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
s with mountain avens as the most characteristic species. purple saxifrage, velvetbells, alpine pussytoes and alpine veronica are also present. With increasing altitude, the dwarf willow and
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...
s become more prominent, forming a second zone. Gradually the plants become more scarce, and above there are only 18 types of plants present. There are three rare mammals who live in this zone. The
wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
inhabits a vast territory, roaming as far as the coniferous forests in winter, but the alpine zone is their main territory. They mostly eat
carrion Carrion (), also known as a carcass, is the decaying flesh of dead animals. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures ...
, but they do also hunt living animals such as small rodents, birds and insects. The wolverine is labelled as an endangered species in Sweden with an estimate of 360 individuals in the country in 2000. The Arctic fox is a
critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
species in Sweden, with only 50 individuals in the whole country. They dig extensive networks of tunnels in areas above the tree-line, with several families inhabiting the same
sett A sett or set is a badger's den. It usually consists of a network of tunnels and numerous entrances. The largest setts are spacious enough to accommodate 15 or more animals with up to of tunnels and as many as 40 openings. Such elaborate setts ...
. The park is one of the last sanctuaries for the
gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
, a species also critically endangered in Sweden. In 1974–1975, the park was home to the only remaining wild wolf living in Sweden. Although the wolf population is now growing, they have not yet achieved a stable number in the park. In addition to these three mammals,
Norway lemming The Norway lemming, also known as the Norwegian lemming (''Lemmus lemmus'') is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia, where it is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fell ...
s are also found in the park. The number of lemmings varies extremely, with massive spikes in the population during some years, immediately followed by a very rapid decline. This phenomenon is not completely understood; it appears that favourable weather, and therefore a surplus of food, results in sudden population growths, but the reason for the decline is less obvious, although it is certain that contagious diseases play some role. These cycles are also reflected in the populations of animals who prey on the lemmings. Many birds living at this altitude are associated with the humid zones. However, the alpine zone has its own characteristic species, such as the
rock ptarmigan The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in Europe. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ ...
, the
snowy owl The snowy owl (''Bubo scandiacus''), also known as the polar owl, the white owl and the Arctic owl, is a large, white owl of the true owl family. Snowy owls are native to the Arctic regions of both North America and the Palearctic, breeding mo ...
, the
horned lark The horned lark or shore lark (''Eremophila alpestris'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found across the northern hemisphere. It is known as "horned lark" in North America and "shore lark" in Europe. Taxonomy The horned lark was Sp ...
, the
meadow pipit The meadow pipit (''Anthus pratensis'') is a small passerine bird that breeds throughout much of the Palearctic, from south-eastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; ...
, the
snow bunting The snow bunting (''Plectrophenax nivalis'') is a passerine bird in the family Calcariidae. It is an Arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere. There are small isolated populations on a few ...
and the Lapland longspur.


Humid zone

Although the park does not have the vast marshes and lakes characteristic of the rest of the region, water is nevertheless present everywhere. The humid zones are rich with a great diversity of flora and fauna. The stratification of vegetation is just as valid in the humid zones. In the montane region, the humid soils are covered with flowers such as the northern Labrador tea, cottonsedge, the Goldilocks buttercup, St Olaf's candlestick, common selfheal and
common marsh-bedstraw ''Galium palustre'', the common marsh bedstraw or simply marsh-bedstraw, is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae. This plant is widely distributed, native to virtually every country in Europe, plus Morocco, the Azores, Turkey, Turkme ...
. In the subalpine zone, the humid prairies mainly have mats of Globe-flower, kingcup and twoflower violet. In the alpine region there are many subalpine plants as well as the '' Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum'', and the vegetation decreases as the altitude increases. The humid zones of the park are well known for their rich diversity of birds. The
common crane The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the crane (bird), cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') an ...
, the wood sandpiper and the
short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...
are found at the lower altitudes, while the
Eurasian teal The Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca''), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being th ...
, the
Eurasian wigeon The Eurasian wigeon or European wigeon (''Mareca penelope''), also known as the widgeon or the wigeon, is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus ''Mareca''. It is common and widespread within its Palearctic range. Taxonomy T ...
, the
greater scaup The greater scaup (''Aythya marila''), just scaup in Europe or, colloquially, "bluebill" in North America, is a mid-sized diving duck, larger than the closely related lesser scaup and tufted duck. It spends the summer months breeding in Iceland ...
, the
red-breasted merganser The red-breasted merganser (''Mergus serrator'') is a duck species that is native to much of the Northern Hemisphere. The red breast that gives the species its common name is only displayed by males in breeding plumage. Individuals fly rapidly ...
, the
sedge warbler The sedge warbler (''Acrocephalus schoenobaenus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus ''Acrocephalus (bird), Acrocephalus''. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge warblers are ...
and the common reed bunting are common in the Laitaure delta and around Pårekjaure Lake. At higher altitudes, Vardojaure Lake is rich with birds, mostly ducks and also the
European golden plover The European golden plover (''Pluvialis apricaria''), also known as the Eurasian golden plover, or just the golden plover within Europe, is a relatively large species of plover. This species is similar to two other golden plovers, the American ...
, characteristic of the alpine zone and sometimes found in the humid zones. Låotakjaure Lake, on the border of Padjelanta, is interesting from an ornithological point of view. Other rare species are also present, such as the
lesser white-fronted goose The lesser white-fronted goose (''Anser erythropus'') is a goose closely related to the larger greater white-fronted goose (''A. albifrons''). It breeds in the northernmost Palearctic, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe, with a reintroduction ...
, the
great snipe The great snipe (''Gallinago media'') is a small stocky wader in the genus ''Gallinago''. This bird's breeding habitat is marshes and wet meadows with short vegetation in north-eastern Europe, including north-western Russia. Great snipes are bird ...
, the
red-throated pipit The red-throated pipit (''Anthus cervinus'') is a small passerine bird, which breeds in the far north of Europe and the Palearctic, with a foothold in northern Alaska. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering to Africa and South-East Asia and we ...
, the
long-tailed duck The long-tailed duck (''Clangula hyemalis'') or coween, is a medium-sized sea duck that breeds in the tundra and taiga regions of the arctic and winters along the northern coastlines of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the only member of ...
and the
bar-tailed godwit The bar-tailed godwit (''Limosa lapponica'') is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, ...
. The Luottolako Plateau is also considered to be interesting, with the most significant concentration of
purple sandpiper The purple sandpiper (''Calidris maritima'') is a small shorebird in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae. This is a hardy sandpiper that breeds in the arctic and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America and winters further south on the Atlan ...
s in Sweden.
Arctic char The Arctic char or Arctic charr (''Salvelinus alpinus'') is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes, as well as Arctic and subarctic coastal waters in the Holarctic realm, Holarctic. Distribution and habitat It Spaw ...
s, trouts and
common minnow ''Phoxinus phoxinus'' (known colloquially as the Eurasian minnow, minnow, Channel minnow, or common minnow) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, minnows and related fishes. It i ...
s are found in the park's lakes, rivers and streams.


Tourism

Sarek National Park is mainly a high-alpine area with hardly any accommodation for tourists.


Hiking trails

The
Kungsleden Kungsleden (King's Trail) is a hiking trail in northern Sweden, approximately long, between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south. The full distance breaks down into 419.3 km of trekking, 18.2 km of lake crossings and a 29.5 km stretch o ...
hiking trail passes through the eastern part of the park, from Saltoluokta to Kvikkjokk. There are no cabins within the park, the Pårte, Aktse and Sitojaure cabins are just outside the park and they are accessible from both Saltoluokta and Kvikkjokk. The Padjelanta Trail (''Padjelantaleden''), running from Kvikkjokk to Akkajaure, skirts the park along its western rim at Tarraluoppal, where the Tarraluoppal cabin is just on the border of the park.


Hazards

Due to the lack of shelters combined with rapidly shifting weather and rough terrain, it is recommended that hikers are well prepared and experienced before setting out on the trails of the park.


Fording streams

There are few bridges in the park, and crossing streams (Sami: ''jokk'') and rivers (Sami: ''ätno'') can be dangerous for ill-equipped or inexperienced hikers. Warm weather increases the melting of the glaciers causing water levels to rise, therefore wading is often easier and safer early in the morning. The only ford across the Rapa River south of the Smaila Moot, is at Tielmaskaite. The ford is long and can only be used when waterlevels are low. Inexperienced hikers are recommended not to cross without a guide. The glacier ''jokk'' from Pårtejekna, Kåtokjåhkå, has no fords. There is a bridge at the southernmost part of the stream (). Hikers can also follow the streams up to the glacier and cross there, although this requires knowledge about glacier crossing.


Sarek in the winter

The lack of marked trails and accommodations makes it very difficult for visitors to hike in the park in winter, unless they are experienced and properly equipped. The steep slopes of the valleys also contributes to the risk for
avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
s.


Places of interest


Aktse

Aktse is an old farm settlement on the Kungsleden trail, approximately outside the boundaries of the park.


Alkavare

In 1788 a chapel was built at Alkavare () for the Sami that were herding reindeer in the area during summer. The walls of the building were dry set from local stone and the roof was made of timber, transported from Kvikkjokk, away. Originally, service was held every summer on June25. It took the minister from Kvikkjokk three days to reach the chapel, and three days to get back. It was abandoned in the mid-19th century and renovated in 1961, and is still in use. , it belongs to the
Jokkmokk Jokkmokk () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Jokkmokk Municipality in Norrbotten County, provinces of Sweden, province of Lapland, Sweden, Lapland, Sweden, with 2,786 inhabitants in 2010. The Lule Sámi name of the place (compos ...
parish of the
Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden () is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.5 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest List ...
, and church service is held throughout July.


The Smaila Moot

Just above the canyon, formed by Smailajåkk as it descends toward Rapaätno, there is a cabin for the National Park Service (). There is also a bridge over the Smailajåkk canyon which allows hikers to cross the stream safely. The bridge is removed every winter and put back in the spring, after the spring flood. The cabin is not open to hikers, but there is an emergency shelter as well as an emergency telephone and an outhouse there. The presence of the bridge and the fact that three of the major valleys in the park (''Routesvagge'', Rapa Valley and ''Koupervagge'') converge there, has resulted in the name 'Smaila Moot' for the location which has become a meeting place for hikers in the park. It is also a preferred location to start a climb to the top of the Sarektjåkkå (), via the Mikkajekna glacier.


Pastavagge

Pastavagge (in
Lule Sami Lule Sámi (, , ) is a Uralic- Sámi language spoken around the Lule River in Sweden and in the northern parts of Nordland county in Norway. In Norway it is especially seen in Hamarøy Municipality (formerly Tysfjord Municipality), where Lule ...
Orthography An orthography is a set of convention (norm), conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, punctuation, Word#Word boundaries, word boundaries, capitalization, hyphenation, and Emphasis (typography), emphasis. Most national ...
called ''Basstavágge'') is a narrow valley, forming a pass, running from Pielavalta (''Bielavallda'') towards the east, ending north of Rinim on the shores of Lake Sitojaure (''Sijddojávrre''). The trekking distance from Pielvalta to Rinim is about . As there is a boat connection between Rinim and the Sitojaure cabins on the Kungsleden, Pastavagge is a preferred route to and from central Sarek. The difference in altitude between the eastern entrance of the valley and the highest level of the pass is about . Because of the steep climb, multiple fords and the high-alpine terrain, it usually takes at least a full day for hikers to traverse the pass.


History


The Sami people

The region's first inhabitants arrived with the retreat of the inland seas 8,000 years ago. They were
nomad Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...
s who lived in Northern
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, and probably ancestors of the Samis. Initially they were
hunter-gatherer A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived Lifestyle, lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, esp ...
s, living off reindeer. For those people, the mountains often had religious connotations, and several were ''Sieidi'' (places of worship). Offerings, such as
antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...
s from reindeer, were often made in those places. One of the most significant ''Sieidi'' was situated at the foot of Mount Skierfe ( high), at the entrance to the Rapa Valley. Samis from the entire region gathered in this place for ceremonies. Mount Apär itself, was believed to be the home of demons and legend tells of an illegitimate child's ghost inside it. Despite their hunter-gatherer way of life, the Samis kept some domesticated reindeer. They were milked and used for transport as well as other things. Towards the end of the 17th century, the number of domesticated reindeer increased, and the Samis began to harmonize their travelling with the reindeer's search for pasture. Eventually, hunting the reindeer gave way to
farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
them. The Samis in the mountains gradually developed a system of
transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...
(movement between fixed summer and winter pastures). They spent the winters on the park's plains and moved up into the mountains in summer, mainly to Padjelanta. Sarek was mostly used as a corridor for travels, although certain prairies (Skarja and Peilavalta in particular) were used for pasture. For shelter during their long journeys, which could last for several weeks, the inhabitants built huts (''kåta'') at selected places in the park. Little by little, they left the reindeer to graze as they pleased, and stopped moving with the herds in the old way.


Sarek and the Swedes

When the Swedish government took control over the Sami territory, the Sami had to pay the same taxes as other Swedes. In the 17th century the Sami were evangelized by the Swedes, who often built churches and markets in locations where the Sami traditionally stayed during winter. The Swedes considered the mountains to be frightening and dangerous so they did not explore them. When the first
ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...
deposits were discovered in the region, the Swedes attempted to persuade the Sami to prospect for other ores in the mountains, in particular
silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
. But in general, the Sami did not dare to reveal such information to the Swedes because they did not want to incur the disapproval of their fellow Sami. An ore discovery was likely to result in the Sami being forced into near-slavery, working the mines and transporting the minerals. The Alkavare deposit was an exception. Its existence was revealed to the Swedes by an extremely poor Sami, who became held in disdain by his tribe due to this. The exploitation of the mine began in 1672, but it never rendered any profit and was abandoned in 1702. A few attempts to reopen the mine has been made, but they have not been successful. The ruins of two buildings and a little chapel are visible nearby the site. The first Swede to scientifically explore the mountains was
Carl von Linné Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organi ...
in his
expedition to Lapland The expedition to Lapland, the northernmost region in Sweden, by Carl Linnaeus between May and October 1732 was an important part of his scientific career. Linnaeus departed from Uppsala and travelled clockwise around the coast of the Gulf of ...
in 1732. Later, in 1870, Gustaf Wilhelm Bucht mapped the region. Shortly after, in 1881, the Frenchman
Charles Rabot Charles Rabot (26 June 1856 in Nevers − 1 February 1944 in Martigné-Ferchaud) was a French geographer, glaciologist, traveler, journalist, lecturer, translation, translator, and explorer. He was also the first person to climb Kebnekaise, the ta ...
became the first man to reach the summit of Sarektjåkkå. The 1890s marked the start of systematic scientific expeditions. Most noted is the work of Axel Hamberg, who had participated in an expedition to Greenland led by
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (; 18 November 183212 August 1901) was a Finland-Swedish aristocrat, geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer. He was a member of the noble Nordenskiöld family of scientists and held the title of a friherre (ba ...
. Hamberg began his study of the region in 1895. He studied the park, chiefly the glaciers, until his death in 1931. He created a high quality map and constructed five cabins in the park, known as the Pårte station, where he conducted his studies of Sarek. Axel Hamburg's work was particularly significant for widespread public recognition of the park.


Protection

The 1872 creation of the world's first
national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in
Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
started a universal momentum for the protection of nature. In Sweden, the
polar explorer This list is for recognised pioneering explorers of the polar regions. It does not include subsequent travelers and expeditions. Polar explorers * Jameson Adams * Mark Agnew * Stian Aker * Valerian Albanov * Roald Amundsen * Salomon August ...
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld became the first to propose using the new concept to protect areas of the Swedish landscape. Axel Hamburg, Nordenskiöld and other scientists organized a plea for establishing Sweden's first national parks, Sarek in particular. They convinced the Swedish botanist and member of the
Riksdag The Riksdag ( , ; also or , ) is the parliament and the parliamentary sovereignty, supreme decision-making body of the Kingdom of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral parliament with 349 members (), elected proportional rep ...
Karl Starbäck from
Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...
to raise the question in the Riksdag. The proposition was accepted in May 1909, and the first nine national parks were established. These were also the first in Europe. Among them were Sarek and its neighbour the Stora Sjöfallet. The reason given for establishing the park was, as stated in official protocols, to "preserve a high mountain landscape in its natural state". In the middle of the 20th century, with developments in
hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
in Sweden,
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
s were frequently built across the northern rivers of Sweden. These barrages were also constructed in the national parks; the Stora Sjöfallet National Park lost nearly a third of its land area with the creation of a dam in 1919. In 1961, an accord called the "Sarek peace" (''Freden i Sarek'') was forged, preventing hydroelectric developments in Sarek as well as in certain rivers, designated "national rivers". This also led to the establishing of Padjelanta National Park. In 1982, the
International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...
(IUCN) mentioned a vast zone including Sarek National Park in its tentative list of natural sites to be classified as
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
s by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. Sweden proposed that part of this zone, the Sjaunja nature reserve, should be included in the list, and in 1990 the IUCN recommended an extension to the proposed area. In 1996, Sarek Park was classed as a World Heritage Site including the adjoining areas of Padjelanta, Stora Sjöfallet, Sjaunja and Stubba nature reserves, Muddus National Park and three adjacent areas, making a total of . The whole area was added to the World Heritage as a mixed site ("of cultural and natural value") called the Laponian area. The park also became part of the
Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...
network. Being on the World Heritage list allowed the park to have its first protection plan. The plan was written with thorough consultation of the Sami, who had not been consulted when the park was established. The WWF paid for this process. The 2007
Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...
plan for the national parks includes a plan to expand Sarek to incorporate the area of the Laitaure Delta and the Tjuoltadalen Valley to the south part of the park. This extension had already been proposed in the 1989 plan, but the situation changed with the World Heritage designation as the proposed extension would make up a sizable part of the Laponian Region.


History of tourism

Sarek National Park is viewed by many Swedes as one of the most beautiful landscapes of their country. The enthusiasm for it was started by Axel Hamberg's book on the park, presenting Sarek as the joy of the Swedish Lapland. The Swedish Tourist Association (STF) was created in 1885. In 1886, they mentioned Sarek as a potential tourist site for the first time. However, the number of tourists was not more than a few dozen. In 1900, the association studied the possibility of creating a long
hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...
trail crossing the Lapland mountains, between
Abisko Abisko (; ) is a village in Sápmi (Lapland (Sweden), Lapland), in northern Sweden, roughly 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, and near Abisko National Park, located 4 km west of the village. It had 85 inhabitants as of 2005. Permafr ...
and Kvikkjokk. The initial proposal was for a marked trail that passed through the park, a boat crossing of the Rapaselet and a
mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located at high elevation, in mountainous terrain, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineering, mountaineers, climbing, climbers and Hiking, hikers. Mountain huts are us ...
beside the river. The project was abandoned and the STF concentrated mostly on Kebnekaise and Sylan. The trail (Kungsleden) was built, but only coming close to the park in the southeast corner of it. In 1946,
Dag Hammarskjöld Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld (English: ,; 29 July 1905 – 18 September 1961) was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second secretary-general of the United Nations from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in Septe ...
popularised the expression "''vår sista stora vildmark''" ("our last great wilderness"). Dag Hammarskjöld advocated a growing tourism in the park, that took care not to damage the environment. Edvin Nilsson's 1970 book on the park strengthened its reputation, increasing the number of tourists from two or three hundred in the 1960s, to 2,000 in 1971. This sudden success caused several problems such as the temporary overcrowding on certain trails in the Rapa Valley, which were not designed to accommodate so many visitors.


Management and regulation


The general case

As for the majority of the Swedish national parks, the management and administration of the park is divided between the Environmental Protection Agency of Sweden and the
County administrative board A county administrative board () is a Swedish Government Agency in each of the counties of Sweden, led by a vice-regal governor () appointed by the government for a term of six years. The lists of gubernatorial officeholders, in most cases, stret ...
. The Environmental Protection Agency is in charge of proposing new national parks in consultation with the county and
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
council. The establishing of each new park requires a decision from the Riksdag. After that, the land is bought by the government through the intermediary of the Environmental Protection Agency. The rest of the park's management is done by the county council. In Sarek's case, this is the
Norrbotten County Norrbotten County (, Meänkieli/, ) is the northernmost county or '' län'' of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden's total area. It shares borders with Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf ...
council. The park rules are relatively strict, to preserve the park in its near-pristine condition. Fishing, hunting, picking flowers and any other activity that could damage the wildlife are all forbidden, except for picking berries and
edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effect ...
s. Similarly, no motorised vehicles are allowed in the park.


The Sami exception

There are several exceptions in the laws about management and regulation of the national parks regarding the Sami. In 1977, the Sami people were recognised by Sweden as an
indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
and a
minority group The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
, which implies that the people and their way of life are protected by law. This grants the Sami the right to farm reindeer in the park. The park is situated on territory belonging to the Sami communities of Sirkas, Jåhkågaskka and Tuorpons, the Sami who are members of these communities are also allowed to pasture their reindeer in the park. In carrying out these activities, the Sami have the right to use motorised vehicles such as snowmobiles or helicopters. These rights are sometimes conflicting with the protection of wildlife. An example of this is when carnivores attack the Sami reindeer. Such an incident occurred in 2007, when an unregistered wolf, a protected and endangered species in Sweden, wandered into an area in Tjåmotis ( southeast of the Rapa Valley) where reindeer were grazing. The wolf was captured, radio-collared and DNA tested. It was kept under surveillance and attempts were made to scare it away, but after it had killed several reindeer and disrupted the herd, a decision was made to shoot it. The decision and the killing were made collectively by the Norrbotten County Administrative Board, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Sami in accordance with the national
nuisance wildlife management Nuisance wildlife management is the selective removal of problem individuals or populations of specific species of wildlife. Other terms for the field include wildlife damage management, wildlife control, and animal damage control. Some wild ani ...
act. There is also an ongoing debate about the damages caused by snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles in the parks. The snowmobiles have become increasingly popular and numerous, while global warming has made the terrain more vulnerable to the vehicles. Joyrides by visitors outside the marked trails have become a problem, especially for the Sami, since they claim that the disruptions made by snowmobiles may cause the pregnant female reindeer to drop their calves prematurely.


In popular culture

The park was the main setting of the 2017 film '' The Ritual'', directed by
David Bruckner David Bruckner (born ) is an American film director. With Jacob Gentry and Dan Bush, he co-wrote and co-directed the 2007 horror film ''The Signal (2007 American film), The Signal''. Bruckner also co-wrote and directed the "Amateur Night" segment ...
.


See also

* Reintroduction of wolves in Sweden


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links


Sweden's National Parks: Sarek National Park
from the
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (), formerly the National Swedish Environment Protection Board () is a Government agencies in Sweden, government agency in Sweden responsible for proposing and implementing environmental policies. It was ...

Trekking Sarek National Park
{{Authority control National parks of Sweden Lapland (Sweden) Geography of Norrbotten County Protected areas of the Arctic Protected areas established in 1909 1909 establishments in Sweden Tourist attractions in Norrbotten County Animal reintroduction Legislation concerning indigenous peoples Indigenous rights Jokkmokk Municipality 20th-century establishments in Norrbotten County