Forests cover approximately 9.4% of land on the planet, but there were times when forests were covered 50 percent of the land. Most people associate the forest with the trees, but the notion of "forest ecosystem" to include many more organisms, among which not only trees, but also small plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, animals.

The forest is a system through which large amounts of energy and in a nutrient Cycling. Fortunately, most people on the planet are able to enjoy the peace of ancient forests. 80 percent of European forests are in Russia.

If you find yourself in the old forest, streams of clean air fill your lungs. Your senses will immediately come alive and you will understand better what is happening around. In the forest you never know what is waiting for you around the corner. Here you can discover the many wonderful things to see what had never seen before.

In the forest you can feel this oneness with nature, you will flee from the world of modern equipment and large cities. You can learn about the most strange and unique forests of the planet, and perhaps you would want to walk on them. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt said, "the Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land that clean the air and give strength to the people".

1) Forests of Northern Sentinella Islands: forests, inhabited by primitive people

North Sentinelese island is one of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This island is unique in that it is surrounded by coral reefs and has no natural bays. For this reason the island is not settled by Europeans, and no one was cut down his forest. The island is almost entirely covered with old forest, an area of 72 square kilometers. Due to the fact that North Sentinelese isolated island, it still lives primitive tribe sentinelese.

The primitive tribes in our time

The tribe sentinela numbers from 50 to 400 people, but it is not known, since these people reject any contact with the outside world. January 26, 2006, two people illegally caught crabs near the Northern Sentinella of the island. They were attacked and killed sentinels.

The coast guard India attempted to pick up the bodies of those killed by helicopter, but was met by the flow of arrows. Reported that sentinels buried the bodies of fishermen, and not cooked their own lunch. However, the idea that the members of the tribe are cannibals, quite plausible.

The earthquake and tsunami in the Indian ocean in 2004 North Sentinelese island was heavily damaged. Some of the reefs surrounding the island, was at the depth, others rose above the surface. The coastline of the island was completely destroyed.

The areas of the fishery sentinela were destroyed, but since then the tribe managed to adapt to new conditions. These people live in primitive communal system, are fishing, are engaged in gathering, their survival depends on the forests in which they hunt wild animals, collect fruits and so on.

At the present time nothing is known about agricultural methods and practices of sentinelese. Their weapons are spears and arrows, and the hit is high. Costs them nothing to hit the target even 10 meters. For warning shots of sentinels sometimes use the arrows without tips. The main products in their diet are plants that grow in the forest, coconuts, which are easily found on the beaches, wild boars and presumably other wildlife.

2) mossy Forests: forest with strange crooked trees

Crooked - grove of trees with trunks strange forms, located near the village of Nove Tarnovo in the West of Poland. In this forest are growing more than 400 pines, but the trunks of some of them have a 90-degree tilt at the base. They all bent in the North, and grow around quite normal straight trees of the same species. Crooked trees were planted around 1930-th year, when the territory of Poland was part of the German province of Pomerania.

I believe that the trees were twisted man, but the motives and methods are still not known. It seems as if the trees were allowed to grow for 7-10 years, and then use some fixtures why they bowed their trunks.

Precisely it is not clear why the Germans needed to tilt the trees, but some researchers believe that they wanted to make a special wooden furniture, frames for boats or clamps for oxen pulling a plow.

3) Red forest: a strange forest of Chernobyl

Red forest hotel is situated in a radius of 10 kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power station, close to the Ghost city of Pripyat, Ukraine. After the accident at the nuclear power plant on 26 April 1986 the trees in this forest, has acquired a reddish tint and died. During works on clearing the territory of the most part of trees was bulldozed and taken to landfills.

The area was covered with sand and then planted young pines. Today Red forest remains the most contaminated area in the world. Some old pine trees remained standing. 90 percent of the radiation is concentrated in soils.

The Chernobyl accident has offered to scientists a unique opportunity to see how the radioactive waste can affect the environment. It may seem strange, but many living beings Red forest not only survive but thrive. The forest has become a "Radioactive reserve" and today is home to many rare species. A large number of different types settled in these places, biodiversity here has increased significantly after the disaster.
The Przewalski's horse in the forest of Chernobyl?

Since 1986 the population of wild boars in the Red forest has increased considerably. There also live other wild species, including storks, wolves, beavers, lynx, elk, and eagles. It was noticed that the birds nesting on old nuclear reactors, there were seen by many rare animals. In 2001 on the streets of the former city of Pripyat were seen signs of the brown bear.

In 2002 at an abandoned excavator in the Red forest was seen young rare owl, which in Ukraine there are not more than a hundred. In 2005, a pack of 21 of the Przewalski horse who has escaped from captivity, has appeared in these places and bred to 64 individuals.

In the Red forest happening and not quite natural things. Flora and fauna in the area suffered from radioactive contamination. Several years after the accident there were reports of animal mutants, but there were no cases when the radiation affected the genetic development of the species with the exception of partial albinism a swallow and stop the growth of feathers of birds.

It is worth noting that the animals mutants quickly die, so those who were affected by radiation, is long dead. The exclusion zone of the Chernobyl NPP is spread on an area of 2,500 square kilometers in the Northern part of Ukraine and southern Belarus.

4) Dying chestnut forest of chestnut hill

Endotelia cancer bark edible chestnut is a devastating disease that has afflicted many chestnuts in America and led to mass extinction of these trees in the Eastern United States. The disease was accidentally been introduced to North America around the beginning of the 20th century together with lumber, or with chestnut trees. By 1940, nearly all the chestnuts in the US were killed.

Once these amazing trees reached 60 meters in height and diameter their trunks was about 4.2 meters. It is known that chestnuts beautiful flowers bloom in late spring and early summer. The disease is caused by a fungus C. parasitica, it kills the trees penetrates the crust, is destroying the cambium. After the disease was discovered, environmentalists tried to delete the infected plants from the forest, however, it appeared that these actions were useless.
Cancer does not spare anybody, even chestnuts

The largest in America chestnut woods, who managed to survive - chestnut hill, which is located near the town of West Salem, Wisconsin. In this forest there are about 2500 chestnut trees on the area of 24 hectares These chestnuts are descendants of only a dozen ancestors that were planted by Martin HJK Helsinki in the end of the 19th century.

These trees were planted in the West, far from plants that naturally grew, that is why they were able to avoid misfortune. In 1987, the researchers found a fungus and in this forest, which gradually began to die. Today, researchers are working to destroy the disease and do everything possible to return chestnut forests in the United States.

The Foundation of the American chestnut today is working to bring plants with resistance to fungi. These chestnut trees will be planted in various parts of the country. The fungus easily spreads to neighboring plants, but it is likely that some isolated chestnuts survived. In 2006 a small grove healthy chestnuts was discovered in the state of Georgia.

5) Sea of trees, Aokigahara: forest suicide

Sea of trees, Aokigahara - beautiful forest, located at the North-Eastern foot of mount Fuji in Japan. In this forest are hidden several caves, there are growing giant trees. The forest is very dark, the trees grow very close to each other, so in the thicket penetrates only a few rays of the sun. In the forest of Aokigahara no animals, it's terrible and very quiet place.

In our days the forest acquired a special reputation: on the one hand, next to the forest and forest edges wonderful view of mount Fuji, but on the other hand, it attracts a huge number of people wanting to get even with a life. While accurate statistics of suicides committed in the forest no, but in 2004 there were found the bodies of 108 people.
Popular location suicide

In recent years, the Japanese government has ceased to publish the number of suicides committed in the forest, but the numbers are leaked to the press. For example, in 2010 it was reported that there was going to commit suicide 247 persons, 54 of them were successful.

Because of this the number of suicides power hung on all wood plates in Japanese and English, urging people to think about their actions. Every year the police and volunteers combed through the neighborhood and be sure someone is found. Sea of trees is considered to be the second most popular destination, attracting suicide, after the Golden gate bridge in San Francisco.

Great suicide rate in Japan is a serious problem, which deepened after the earthquake and tsunami 2011. The society has faced a wave of social exclusion. "Hikikomori" is a Japanese term, which means the phenomenon of alienation of adolescents and young people who decide for themselves to live in solitude. According to some estimates, about 1 percent of Japanese people live that way.

In Japanese mythology Sea forest trees has always been shrouded in mystery and legends. It is believed that this is the place, where leave to die old and ruled by an evil spirit.

6) Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell: the ancient forest of Norway

Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell - nature reserve with the area 147 square kilometers, located in the County of Buskerud Norwegian. The reserve was established on 13 December 2002 and is located in the mountainous region between the towns Nord and Salavan.

There grows the last of the ancient primeval forest in Norway, which can be found 93 species of animals and plants listed in the Red book.

In the forest of Trillemarka-Rollagsfjell attracts an enormous number of animals that depend on dynamics of the forest. Here you can find birds such as lesser spotted woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker, Siberian Jay (on photo), wood pigeon and Bercut. Currently, about 75 percent of the forest is under protection of the state. It seems that Norway is a little behind other countries in terms of protecting the forests.

7) Forest "the Dark Entrance": the house of the evil forces

Dudley (village of the Damned) - a city-a sign in Connecticut. It was founded in the middle of the 1740-s, as a small settlement, and 19-th century became quite prosperous city. Residents of the town were occupied in zhelezovanadievoj industry, which was fairly well developed in this region.

Here you can meet a lot of visitors, while there are no reports of strange phenomena, unexplained murders and mass suicides. In some cases, the inhabitants of the city began to see hallucinations, in which appeared before them demons, ordering them to commit suicide. Began to disappear cattle.

Residents of the city Dudley began to think that their land someone cursed. By the middle of the 20th century, the town remained inhabitants, all of them either died or left. Today Dudley looks as he looked 250 years ago, when here came the first settlers.

Here grew thick forest with rocky landscape, located in the shadow of three different mountains - Bald mountain, Woodbury and mountains Coltsfoot Triplets. Due to the fact that the forest is very dense, and trees in it is very high, he received the name the forest "the Dark Entrance".

Ruins of the city of Dudley and forest "the Dark Entrance" are protected by a special group, which prosecutes all who illegally enters these places. Hundreds of people were arrested when they tried to visit Dudley. Say, here seen unexplained round objects, light, and heard a strange sound.

Like some other strange forest, the forest is very quiet and there are no animals. Modern researchers have suggested that the city did not bear mass hysteria and groundwater were contaminated with lead, which led to high mortality rates.

8) the Ardennes forest, the site of a famous battle

The Ardennes is a mountainous region covered by forest, situated in Belgium, Luxembourg and France. The area is rich in timber, minerals and animals. The Ardennes occupy a strategic position in Europe. For this reason, this area was the site of the famous battle.

In the 20th century, the Ardennes considered unsuitable for large-scale military operations, however, during the First and Second World Wars Germany successfully used these landscapes in attempts to capture France.

The Ardennes are three major battles of the 20th century: the Ardennes operations (1914), the French campaign (1940) and Offensive in the Ardennes (1944). During the battle of Ardennes French and German troops literally stumbled upon each other in the Ardennes forest because of thick fog.

In the winter of 1944, the Third Reich undertook a great offensive. The path of German troops was through the Ardennes region in the South-West of Belgium. This event was named Offensive in the Ardennes.

Before the Offensive in the Ardennes, this snow-covered area was called "Ghostly front". Hitler admired the Ardennes, As a good area for a surprise attack. Many towns and villages that are located in these places were destroyed during the war, including the historic city of Belgium La Roche-EN-Ardenne. The Ardennes were captured by Germany until 1945 were not repulsed by the Nazis.

Today the forest of Arden is a favorite tourist destination in Europe, here you can go hunting, mountain Biking, kayaking, to visit historical places.

9) Forest hoy-Baciu: shelter UFO

Forest hoy-Baciu is located near the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania, local call it Romanian "Bermuda triangle". It was named in honor of the shepherd, missing in these places with two hundred sheep. Many people who live in the area, afraid even to come nearer to this forest. They believe that no one can back out alive and unharmed. Some people who still dared to walk in a strange forest, claimed that he was a strange feeling, including nausea, vomiting, migraine, pain, severe anxiety, and so on.

Forest hoy-Baciu has a reputation as a forest with paranormal activity. There was evidence of strange phenomena, including the mysterious light, female voices, the laughter, the appearance of ghosts and so on. In the 1970s, these places were chosen by UFOs. People who visited the forest, spoke of the strong feeling of anxiety and feelings, that they were being watched. The vegetation in the forest has strange properties. 18 August 1968 military techniques Emil Barna made famous photograph saucer-like object in the forest hoy-Baciu.

Many people who live near forests hoy-Baciu say that sometimes often see a strange glow. Specialists in the paranormal phenomena from all over the world interested in what is happening in this forest. Came here hunters for ghosts and UFOs from Germany, France, USA and Hungary. People managed to see inexplicable things.

10) Ancient forest wood: prehistoric forest China

In February 2012 Chinese scientists announced that it has completed the reconstruction of an ancient forest, which was found in the North of the country, buried under layers of volcanic ash near the Mongolian region of wood. The forest area of 20 square kilometers) have been preserved due to the volcanic eruption that took place 298 million years ago. This discovery reminded about the death of the Roman city of Pompeii in 79 ad.

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Shenyang, and the University of Yunnan were able to reconstruct 3 thousand square kilometers subtropical forests. They found a rich collection of ancient plants that have long been extinct. I believe that the forest was located on the edge of a huge tropical island near the Eastern coast of the continent of Pangaea.

It was a marshland with a layer of peat and several inches of standing water. Just revealed 6 different types of trees, including high sigillaria and cordite and smaller noeggerath who are relatives of ferns. Scientists found no evidence of the presence in this forest animals, such as the ancient amphibians.

Les Yellowwood is located in the district brown, Indiana. The name of Yellowwood ("Yellow forest") comes from the name of the rare yellow wood. Reserve Yellowwood was founded in 1930-X. In 1939 year there appeared lake area of 54 hectares of the forest is one mystery. On the tops of three trees were found huge stones weighing about 180 pounds. These stones were found in the 1990-ies hunter turkeys and were named "Turkey stones".

The stones are located on a South-facing slope above the plain not far from the road Tulip-Three in the West, brown County. Official state government can't explain how these stones were on the trees and were caught between branches. Some believe that it is just someone's joke, they threw hurricanes or they were on the trees in the flooding. This phenomenon is discussed in some sites dedicated to UFOs.

There is a version that the stones were placed on the trees with the help of helicopters during military exercises, as close during the Second world war there was a military camp. However, this information has not been confirmed.

Source: listverse.com