Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
’s largest forest. It comprises a collection of several independent private and public woodlands, that have been allowed to merge into a single connected forest south of the city of
Silkeborg
Silkeborg () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).Rold Skov, and it is located within the largest forest district in the country as well. The forests forms an important part of the larger regional landscape known as
Søhøjlandet
Søhøjlandet (English: ''The Lake-highland'') is the highest lying region in Denmark and at the same time, it has the highest density of lakes.Silkeborg
Silkeborg () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).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 ...
and is designated as area 57 and EU Habitat area H181.
The protection comprises several conservationally important forest and aquatic
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s. Amongst these, habitat type 9120 defined as "Beech forests (''
Fagus sylvatica
''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech, is a large, graceful deciduous tree in the Fagaceae, beech family with smooth silvery-gray bark, large leaf area, and a short trunk with low branches.
Description
''Fagus sylvatica'' i ...
'') with holly (''
Ilex
''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen or ...
''), growing on acidic soils, in a humid Atlantic climate", is the most prevalent forest habitat at 351 ha, while habitat type 3150, defined as "Natural eutrophic lakes with ''Magnopotamion'' or ''Hydrocharition''-type vegetation" is the most prevalent aquatic habitat in the area, at 188 ha. There are other important - but less extent - habitat types present, like the 54 ha Lobelian lake of Almind Sø for example.
The designation is also based on the presence of European brook lamprey,
Northern crested newt
The northern crested newt, great crested newt or warty newt (''Triturus cristatus'') is a newt species native to Great Britain, northern and central continental Europe and parts of Western Siberia. It is a large newt, with females growing up to ...
European otter
The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...