The sacred birches of the Taiga | DW Documentary

The taiga is the largest contiguous vegetation zone in the world. The birch plays a special role in this boreal coniferous forest. Its light-colored bark forms a perfect insulating layer. Symbiotic fungi protect its roots from attackers.

In the boreal coniferous forest, where light and darkness, warmth and cold follow each other in an eternal cycle, a sacred tree watches over the inhabitants of the taiga: the birch. With its strong roots and tall crown, this special tree is a symbol of life. The northern Finnish Sami people revere it as a source of inspiration, a resource and a medicinal plant; its wood is used for heating, its bark sap as a medicinal essence and its branches for carving bows. Particularly long-lived trees are treated as oracles, and consulted on existential matters.

The tree’s light-colored bark blends into the snow-covered landscape in winter, camouflaging the trees and protecting them from foraging hares and reindeer. The white trunk also helps to prevent the snow around the base of the tree from thawing too quickly, thereby protecting its roots from the cold. In summer, it reflects the sunlight and reduces heat absorption on hot days.

Like the birch, other creatures here have also developed strategies to survive under extreme conditions. Lichens are more than just decoration in the boreal coniferous forest: the fungi insulate the soil, and serve as food for reindeer and building material for the nests of Arctic birds. Reindeer, on the other hand, are the landscape gardeners of the taiga: they cut the tasty shoots of ash and larch trees and thus regulate the forest in a natural way. When they roll on the ground, they create small hollows where rainwater can collect; their droppings serve as fertilizer and they transport tree and shrub seeds under their hooves. In the boreal coniferous forest, storms occur frequently throughout the year; the natural flexibility of the birch proves to be an advantage here. Fallen trees also contribute to biodiversity by uncovering mineral soil and exposing it to sunlight so that new life can develop.

But increasingly extreme summer heatwaves are threatening the fragile ecosystem of the boreal coniferous forest. Animal and plant species must adapt - or migrate further north to escape extinction.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs #taiga #tree
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