Forests are pristine territories and enclose a beautiful little world of their own. Some of her forests have strange biodiversity that makes them different from other forests in the world. Some have no wildlife, while some have strange shapes of trees. Below is a list of forests with unusual biodiversity that will surely interest you.
1. Crooked Forest, Poland
The winding forest in Poland is a forest of 400 strangely shaped pine trees. Located near the town of Gryfino, West Pomerania of Poland, the strange growth of these trees remains a mystery to this day.
The pine trees were planted in 1930. What is unusual here is that these trees grow 90 degrees to the north and then bend back to grow straight up. This special growth gives them the shape of a hook. Although there is an unnatural curve of about 1 to 1.5 meters at the base, they are all healthy trees and most are about 15 meters in height.
Although there are many legends and theories explaining these crooked trees, the most plausible is that local farmers shaped the trees when they planted them in 1930. These trees were subjected to an impact when they were 7 to 9 years old that resulted in their trunks being bent.
Whatever the truth, this winding forest has now become an entertainment destination and many tourists flock to this strange looking forest to rest and feel awe. surprised by this anomaly.
2. Otzarreta Forest, Spain
In the middle of the Gorbea Natural Park in the Basque Country, Spain, there is a beautiful and striking forest named Otzaretta. Gorbea Natural Park is located in the Basque Country of northern Spain. It is spread over an area of 200 square kilometers.
This Spanish forest is a real mystery that no one has been able to decode until now. This forest has a special type of oak tree that sheds leaves all year round. The forest ground also becomes special with dry red leaves scattered everywhere giving it a very colorful appearance.
Normally, trees lose their leaves when dry, but this forest has trees that lose their leaves all year round for unknown reasons! There is no scientific evidence to explain this phenomenon. Despite this, there are many local legends and myths associated with it that make it mysterious.
Whatever the reason behind the defoliation, the ground in this forest looks mesmerizing with red leaves spread everywhere like a carpet. This forest attracts many tourists all year round thanks to this strange phenomenon.
3. Baobab Avenue, Madagascar
Baobab Avenue, or Baobab Lane, is a small forest off a dirt road between Morondava and Beloni’s Tsiribihina in the Menable region of western Madagascar. These trees are a prominent group of Grandidier’s Baobabs and are estimated to be about 2,800 years old. This is one of its most striking landscapes and attracts millions of visitors every year. The area was granted temporary protected status in July 2007 by the local Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests. The forest consists of 20 to 25 baobab trees, which are also endemic to Madagascar and are about 30 meters tall.
These trees are also known as Renala, or “Mother of the Forest” in the local Malagasy language. These trees are a legacy left by the dense tropical forests that once thrived on the local landscape. As the population increased in this area, the forests were cleared, but these trees still remained.
4. Goblin Forest, New Zealand
The famous Kamahi walking track is located near the Mount Taranaki area known as East Egmont. The Kamahi Walkway is named “Goblin Forest” because of its unusually shaped branches and trunks. There are decades-old kamahi trees growing on the trunks of other trees. They look like the limbs of a ghost, giving this forest a very spooky look.
The trunks and branches have grown through the existing branches of other trees and as a result their shape has become gnarled and twisted. Now they resembled the limbs of a goblin. The entire forest has these special gnarled trees. Furthermore, the hanging moss, ferns and liverworts that grow on them add to the eerie effect of the forest.
This area also leads to the Wilkies swimming pools, a series of natural plunge pools created by the scouring action of water-borne gravel and sand. Tourists come to this area to hike through goblin woods and take a dip in Wilkies Pool.
5. Moss Swamp, Romania
This vast and mysterious mossy swamp is located a short distance from the Romanian castle Bran. The local swamps here can have wells up to 10 meters deep, so visitors must exercise caution when visiting.
Moss Swamp is a very popular tourist destination in Romania, and the whole area looks like a fairy tale.