Heartbeat of the Primeval Forest
There are places un Earth, full of implicit wildnessw, almost primeval, with undisturbed rhytm of nature, so strongly bewildering and captivating that many lose their hearts there... I have since always found happiness in the Białowieża Forest. From my first wandering in the thick of the Białowieża National Park I have tried to understand it completely. The expirience even then was unique. It was lofty. Tree giants around me, huge moss-civered logs lying on the forerst floor, abundance of fungi and a wild aroma of humidity. I felt the Great Forest. I knew where I was, I knewit was the truest forest, for me - a great sanctuary of nature.
Season 1
5 episodes
- 1. Living WildThe first part presents eight forest communities occurring in the forest: alder forest, riparian forest, marsh forest, pine forest, mixed forest, spruce forest on peat, oak forest, hornbeam forest. All these communities stretch successively in zones along streams. The atmosphere of a large house is created by trees. The space created by them is developed by the inhabitants of the forest. Life goes on at all levels - from the soil to the tree crowns. The underground layer, undergrowth, ground cover, trunks, crowns are the successive levels of the storey. The strategy of life and survival, the rules that apply in the forest, the mutual interpenetration of environments, the original mosaic of green worlds make up the image of an indivisible, primeval forest full of wild animals.CC30minJan 1, 1995
- 2. Never-Ending RivalryThe storm hit the forest, making huge holes in its green tissue. For the fallen, centuries-old giants, this was certainly a tragedy, but for the forest - just an episode. Moreover, it was necessary for the forest to continue to live. Right after the storm ended, a fierce, although imperceptible to the human eye, race began. It can be followed thanks to the acceleration of time-lapse photos. Thousands of seeds stuck in the litter competed for the highest stakes. Tiny shoots shot out of them. But the chances of survival of each of the thousands of seedlings are minimal. Some will fall victim to herbivores, others will quickly wither. The strongest plants continue the race. The winners will be those that outgrow their neighbors and put down the deepest roots, blocking the precious light from their competitors and taking away moisture. Of the several dozen trees that have survived the stage of compaction, only a few will reach a ripe old age.CC29minJan 8, 1995
- 3. Giants and DwarfsThe plants of the Białowieża Forest presented in the previous episode are the basis of life for forest animals, especially herbivores. The largest of them are the "imperial forests", as Adam Mickiewicz called bison. In the summer, they live in small groups, and in the winter they gather in larger herds, where, depending on gender, age and condition, they occupy an appropriate position. The leader of the herd is usually the oldest and most experienced female bison. Apart from humans, bison have almost no natural enemies. The rolling and rubbing observed in the film is a daily ritual, conducive to maintaining hygiene. The dense shag hairs of bison are a favorite habitat for parasites. The bison menu consists of about one hundred and forty species of plants, the majority of which are herbs and grasses. Smaller herbivores include wild boar, although it also eats insects, rodents, chicks, even carrion.CC30minJan 15, 1995
- 4. Not Only Fangs and ClawsPredators, the third link in the metabolic chain after plants and herbivores. Their typical features include a good sense of smell, strong muscles, claws, fangs or a curved beak. Meanwhile, in the primeval forest, the world of predators does not fit the stereotype. The smallest predatory mammal in Białowieża, the shrew, has to eat almost constantly - a few hours of fasting threatens its death. In the summer, it is easy to find potential prey, when there are plenty of insects. For the winter months, the tiny animal reduces its body mass - it is its way of survival. Undoubtedly, a predator is a relative of the shrew, the water shrew, as well as the otter, lynx, sparrowhawk, eagle owl. The strength of the parasites, in their mass much more predatory than the lynx or wolf, is their incredible numbers. The forest muds are a gigantic breeding ground for mosquitoes. These annoying bloodsuckers will not give up even to large predators.CC30minJan 22, 1995
- 5. Living NetworkBiałowieża Forest - in this forest you can see Europe as it was thousands of years ago. The only place in the world where the bison still lives together with the lynx, wolf, beaver and deer. The last part of the film tells the story of transience. Its heroes are scavengers, rot eaters, all those small organisms that make the "bottom" of the forest a large, constantly working laboratory. Nothing goes to waste here. Bacteria break down organic matter that larger animals do not use into simple organic compounds that flow into the soil with water. They will feed a new generation of forest plants. Every death carries the seed of new life. Organic matter today is litter, tomorrow a hepatica or a butterfly, the day after tomorrow an eagle. Our great-grandparents understood and worshipped the forest as best they could. It was like that for many years, but slowly man began to take more and more from the forest, giving nothing in return.CC30minJan 29, 1995
Heartbeat of the Primeval Forest
There are places un Earth, full of implicit wildnessw, almost primeval, with undisturbed rhytm of nature, so strongly bewildering and captivating that many lose their hearts there... I have since always found happiness in the Białowieża Forest. From my first wandering in the thick of the Białowieża National Park I have tried to understand it completely. The expirience even then was unique. It was lofty. Tree giants around me, huge moss-civered logs lying on the forerst floor, abundance of fungi and a wild aroma of humidity. I felt the Great Forest. I knew where I was, I knewit was the truest forest, for me - a great sanctuary of nature.
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