This forest is very interesting, it's a part of the Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest National Park), the flank of the mountain Rachel, actually. As this is a National Park, human influence needs to be minimized. So when bark-beetles attacked this part of the NP, nothing was done to rescue the forest. Of course, discussions flared for years if that had been the right decision, especially when a huge winter storm killed off almost all of the weakened firs, breaking many of them at a height of two or three meters (that's the stumps you can see here). That has happened something like 25 years ago. From afar, this region looks like a wasteland straight out of a dystopic SF movie. But if you hike through that area, you will see that the trees are alive again - with funghi, beetles, woodpeckers, other birds who use the woodpeckers' caves, and a plethora of insects. The area is thriving with life.

And even though the summer is short up there and the winters harsh, there is a new forest sprouting in some areas, too. But as there are almost no firs, it's even more beautiful and utterly diverse - we've seen birch trees, mountain ash, and even oaks and several other species as well. The ground is covered with decaying firs, some of them already powdery like flour and soft like cottage cheese, and come spring, the area explodes in greens and blossoms.

Beauty through destruction - that's what nature can do if left to its own devices.