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A photo story about our forests and biodiversity.

Seeing the forest through the trees

A plea for preservation and restoration.

Trees coordinate with each other so that their crowns do not grow together so that there is space between the treetops and sunlight can penetrate.
Sunlight on the soil is necessary for young trees to grow into mature trees.
The greatest biodiversity occurs when there is sufficient variation in dead wood: standing and lying wood in various stages of decomposition, in different tree species, thick and thin wood and in sunny and shaded places.
Trees connect through their roots to form a woven system. This woven system creates a social network that connects a species, allowing for the exchange of nutrients and the development of social networks through which trees support each other.  
Symbionts (such as the Fly Agaric) live together with trees in such a way that both the fungus and the tree benefit from the cooperation.
Young trees need other organisms to get to the nutrients of the old trees. A fungus like the pear-shaped puffball provides this.
Tinder fungi are an important link in the forest cycle. They help to break down dead trees and release nutrients for future generations.
Saprophytes slowly break down dead remains. What is left eventually contributes to the nutrient richness of the soil.
By not only looking at the forest during your forest walk, but also paying attention to the mutual structures and organisms, you will really see the forest through the trees. Through the knowledge gained, you are able to recognize the biodiversity in the forest in order to support the preservation and restoration of our forests.

The current size and quality of our forests are under great pressure due to nitrogen deposition, acidification, dehydration and nutrient loss. These effects have major consequences for the resilience and quality of our forests, which puts biodiversity under pressure. Source: Strategic Forest Policy Province of Utrecht, page 3 (March 29, 2022).

“In recent decades, the diversity of plant and animal species has declined sharply due to human actions. Many special habitats have already disappeared. Deforestation deprives animals of their habitat and fragmentation of the forest means that they can hardly or not at all migrate. This makes it impossible for many species to find a partner and reproduce and maintain a healthy population. In order to reverse the sharp decline in biodiversity, preserving the remaining forest is crucial: we strive for Bending the Curve, turning the downward trend into an upward trend” (World Wildlife Fund)

This photo story is about the hidden treasures in the forest in order to bring biodiversity to the public’s attention.

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