Glowing Forest in India

During the monsoon, the forests of the Western Ghats mountain range in India can surprise tourists by glowing strangely.

Glowing tree trunks in the forest. Photo: Sriharsha Ganjam & Ashwini Kumar Bhat - Landscape Wizards.

Located in the world’s eight major biodiversity zones, the Western Ghats are home to some of the richest rainforests on the planet, with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Every year, during the monsoon season from June to October, the entire forest glows a pale green, like fluorescent light.

The cause of this strange phenomenon is a type of bioluminescent fungus that grows on tree bark and rotting branches on the forest floor. Bioluminescent fungi only exist in places with suitable humidity in old forests in tropical and temperate climates.

While bioluminescent marine organisms are relatively common, bioluminescence in terrestrial organisms is rarer. The two most well-known are fireflies and worms. Scientists have found nearly 100,000 types of bioluminescent fungi, but only a few are large enough to be easily seen by humans. The ones growing in the Western Ghats belong to the Mycena genus, which includes microscopic moss-like fungi. Why they glow remains a mystery.

According to VnExpress