In the wettest place on Earth, the village of Mawsynram in Meghalaya, India are some of the most fascinating bridges you'll ever see. These “living bridges” are formed by locals who have trained the roots of rubber trees to grow into natural bridges. They are sturdy enough to far outlast man-made wooden structure bridges. Because of the relentless rain in Meghalaya's jungles, wooden structures would rot away. These root bridges are self-strengthening, becoming more sturdy over time as the root systems grow.
From: mymodernmet.com
Photographer Amos Chapple
As Chapple explains about the process, “The skeleton of the bridge is bamboo, with tendrils from the surrounding rubber trees are being fixed onto the structure strand by strand. By the time the bamboo has rotted away, within 6-8 years, locals say the roots of the tree will be able to bear a person's weight.”
WOW!
I would probably pass out before crossing some of these bridges. They look pretty "unstable" .
I guess if you grow up crossing such bridges, you get used to them and there can be no fear.
Well what a mixture - The Hobbit, The Red Shoes and The Birds all mixed into one!!
Until the last part I thought the guy was the creepiest thing - the way he was stalking around the forest and his hands were like independent claws clutching stealthily at branches. I reckon he had it coming - he only had himself to blame!
This phenomenon was first described in the 1920's. It's called "Crown Shyness". One theory assumes a tree's leaves can feel when they are approaching another tree. Once they sense a nearing neighbor, the growing process halts, ensuring that light can penetrate the canopy and photosynthesis continue.
Another possible explanation is that this is a defense mechanism against leaf-eating insects. The gaps mean bugs wouldn't be able to reach other trees, impeding their spread.
The most likely theory is that the trees simply do not want to hurt themselves. The phenomenon is often observed in windy areas, leading scientists to assume that the gaps between the crowns make it less likely that branches will collide or get wedged together. This reduces the "risk of injury."
Trees are even polite The patterns are striking, don't you guys think?
That's the coolest video I've seen in a long time. Your poor Thom
Poor old Thom indeed...
But what a fab video. The ultimate cautionary tale of why you shouldn't go creeping round places where you have no business to be, not to mention thinking you belong and give in to your vanity!
He's so so good at this stuff. The "oh shit" moment when he realises he's in big trouble...Classic.
This Crown Shyness thing is fascinating isn't it? I just love those patterns (and yes Dee they do remind me of the way the earth cracks) - I'd never heard of it before - but that's what so great about trees isn't it? They are full of surprises.
On the BBC programme with Judi Dench "For the love of Trees" they definitely talked about trees communicating with each other so I guess their sensitivity to positioning isn't too hard to believe.
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This is one spooky forest :
