The Bhimashankar forest reserve of Maharashtra: Here is why it glows
Nature can be lovely, terrifying, and even miraculous! Starting from the mysterious rolling stones of the USA and the disappearing islands of Britain to the Blood Falls of Antarctica (a waterfall with blood-red water), nature always fascinates us. Glowing forests make for one such mesmerising natural wonder. The bioluminescent forests of the Western Ghats, specifically, The Bhimashankar Wildlife Reserve, are such delightful hidden gems of nature. The trees of this forest glow! This magnificent glowing forest, though acknowledged by naturalists, is not very widely known.
The Bhimashankar Wildlife Reserve occupies 131 square kilometres of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. It is located 100 km east of the capital city of Mumbai. This reserve that includes nine tribal villages, was established to protect an endangered species of the Indian Giant Squirrel and certain endangered reptile species that inhabit this forest. This forest is home to a rare yet stunning phenomenon called bioluminescence. After darkness engulfs the forest at sunset, the barks of the trees glow! Now let’s dive into what makes them glow, almost magically.
The secret behind the glow
The light and shine seen on decaying wood in the forest is make it glow. This happens due to a phenomenon called bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is a chemical process that produces light almost identically to how fireflies do. It is caused by a fungus belonging to the genus Mycena, which has microscopic mushrooms that resemble moss. This fungus produces an enzyme called luciferase. A chemical reaction between a chemical called luciferin, the light-emitting compound found on decaying wood, and the enzyme luciferase is what leads to bioluminescence. Owing to this, the trees radiate a vivid, fluorescent green glow. Although this phenomenon can also be seen in other temperate–tropical areas, it is observed in large patches in the Western Ghats. As a result, 39 regions on the Western Ghats have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage sites, meant to be preserved with care.
Ideal conditions for the glow
The monsoon season, when the entire forest is drenched with rain and everything is lush green, is the time this forest truly shines. The fungal genus Mycena, typically requires rotting barks, leaves, and tree roots for their growth. Such decaying material is a common sight in the damp and moist weather of monsoon. Thus, monsoon is the time when the forests display their divine glow the most!
The history of bioluminescence
Yes, the glowing forests have a history too. Pliny the Elder, a renowned Roman naturalist, made the earliest mention of this phenomena in Europe in the first century. It's thought that some Scandinavian tribes used fragments of the glowing wood to mark their paths when navigating dense forests.