Our Magic Forests (3/3)
THE EMPIRE OF WATER
2000 years ago, forests covered almost the whole landmass of the world. The loss of these forests is one of the most profound changes on our planet. Our forests are more than green oases. They allow water to evaporate and ascend, as if gravity was turned upside down. Each forest is like a gigantic sponge – from the canopy to the forest soil. Even the Germans, who love the forest with fervour, are just beginning to understand it.
Forests are the biggest fresh water reservoirs of the world – for everything in the forest is set out to save water for bad times. The treetops collect a major amount of rainfall before it gets to the ground, where the humus-rich soil absorbs it like a sponge. Tree roots that are covered in a soft felt by their mushroom friends, store the valuable supply, and it miraculously reaches back up to the treetops from the roots – without any motor pumps. Up here it is needed for the photosynthesis. For without water the sugar production in the leaves grinds to a halt and the stomach of the whole forest growls. While the leaves up high gather the energy of the sun, the closed canopy provides a green twilight and a steady cool and moist climate inside the woods. However, too much water and many trees will drown. Much like us they die of suffocation. Alluvial forests are therefore the terrain of specialists – and the home of beavers, the sole forest inhabitants who cut down trees. Regardless of the location: Each forest is a gigantic “water bucket” in a global chain of pumping stations. Forests pump the water vapour of the seas inland. The big continents would fall dry without them. Not only because of this, our forests are our most important ally in the fight against climate change. Thus scientists study our forests with “climate towers” and “treetop-cranes” to learn the forest’s secrets.
Forests are the biggest fresh water reservoirs of the world – for everything in the forest is set out to save water for bad times. The treetops collect a major amount of rainfall before it gets to the ground, where the humus-rich soil absorbs it like a sponge. Tree roots that are covered in a soft felt by their mushroom friends, store the valuable supply, and it miraculously reaches back up to the treetops from the roots – without any motor pumps. Up here it is needed for the photosynthesis. For without water the sugar production in the leaves grinds to a halt and the stomach of the whole forest growls. While the leaves up high gather the energy of the sun, the closed canopy provides a green twilight and a steady cool and moist climate inside the woods. However, too much water and many trees will drown. Much like us they die of suffocation. Alluvial forests are therefore the terrain of specialists – and the home of beavers, the sole forest inhabitants who cut down trees. Regardless of the location: Each forest is a gigantic “water bucket” in a global chain of pumping stations. Forests pump the water vapour of the seas inland. The big continents would fall dry without them. Not only because of this, our forests are our most important ally in the fight against climate change. Thus scientists study our forests with “climate towers” and “treetop-cranes” to learn the forest’s secrets.
Facts
First aired 11th June 2017, 7:30 pm, on ZDF
90-minutes-special on ARTE
18th January 2020, 8:15 pm, on ARTE
With a wide variety of topics—from “The European Saga” to “Our Forests” to “Lights of the Deep Sea”—and impressive images, the “Terra X” documentaries attracted even more viewers in 2017 than in the previous year: an average of 3.91 million viewers (13.3 percent market share) tuned in.
The series Our Forests is available online on DVD or Blu-ray.
Credits
Written, directed, and produced by: Petra Höfer and Freddie Röckenhaus
Producers: Francesca D’Amicis, Susanne Rostosky, Kay Schlasse, Friederike Schmidt-Vogt
Director of photography: Tobias Kaufmann
Helicopter camera: Peter Thompson, Klaus Stuhl
Animations: David Cornfield, Liz Elkington, Lauri Gibbs, Libby Redden, 422 South
Line producers: Svenja Mandel, Christine Marzi
Narrator: Dietmar Wunder
Editors: Johannes Geiger, Friederike Haedecke, Katharina Kohl (ZDF)
A colourFIELD production commissioned by ZDF
