Jarvselja Primeval Forest

Almost all Estonian forest has been cut at some point, which makes the Jarvselja primeval forest reserve significant out of proportion to its size: around fifty hectares set aside in 1924 and left entirely alone since, so that trees grow, die, fall and rot in place. The result is a stand of spruce, pine, birch and broadleaf with very large old trees, standing deadwood, fallen trunks across the ground and the fungi, mosses and insects that depend on them, quite unlike managed forest. A marked trail with a boardwalk over the wettest sections runs through it, taking about an hour. The reserve sits within the Jarvselja training and research forest of the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

What you actually see

• Old-growth structure - very large trees with deadwood standing and fallen.
• The boardwalk trail - the marked route through the wet forest.
• Fungi and mosses - the decay community on the fallen wood.
• The contrast - managed forest on the approach against the untouched core.

When to go

May to October for the trail; autumn is best for fungi. Spring is very wet underfoot even with boardwalk. Winter access is possible but the trail is icy.

Honest expectations

The reserve is small, around fifty hectares, and the trail takes an hour. Mosquitoes are severe in summer. Boardwalks are slippery. There are no facilities beyond a car park and information board.

Nearby

Lake Peipus lies east; Tartu is northwest.