Hven -- The Jewel in the Øresund: Geography & Ecology (2)

At "Echo Hill" you can look across the landscape toward Bäckviken.
The property at the bottom of the hill is the Lyttken estate where the author Alice Lyttkens wrote
many of her books.

Hven is rich in flora
Try reading "Hven, Vegetation and Flora" by A. Nilsson. Unfortunately, plantlife has begun declining even here. Please remember that the "Malva"
Hven's pink national flower, is a protected species.

More Flora & Fauna

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Hven has very fertile soil. With 10+ layers of topsoil, farming has always meant a lot to the islanders. Today though, there are no more than 6 large farms. 20 years ago, there were twice as many, but even here the trend is towards larger, more efficient units. There is a rich plant and animal life on the island, but encroaching farms have upset the delicate ecological balance and the undermining of the species is accelerating.

Following others, the very rare green speckled newt is now also extinct because of poorly planned rationalisation of land use and construction. Sand and water lizards are nearly gone too because of drainage channels and excessive fertilisation. Who or what will fall next is anybody's guess.

Hven -- The Jewel in the Øresund -- but for how long?