The Site is a huge intact peat mire system at high elevation. It is partly forested (notably with Norway spruce Picea abies), and interspersed with several smaller lakes and a meandering river. The landscape is undulating and there are also mires on sloping terrain due to the high precipitation, amid some drier areas and peaks. The river is protected against hydropower developments. The Site supports 130 different bird species, of which 70 are regular breeders. More than 331 species of vascular plants and 370 species of fungi have been found in the area, some of them nationally threatened. The globally endangered freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera and the European otter Lutra lutra are present. The area is valuable in terms of flood control and is used for grazing, hunting, fishing, recreational activities and berry picking. Over 1,000 years ago, the Site was used to produce steel from bog iron, and there are still several “bloomeries” (simple furnaces) across the Site. The use of charcoal as fuel and the related deforestation probably resulted in waterlogging, contributing to the formation of the many mires in the area today.