Lost Forests 2024

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The forest. A mysterious and rich ecosystem where all species - animals, plants and fungi - are interconnected. Where alpine honghorn beetles and legless lizards forage for food and mates in the undergrowth. In the cool streams, stone crayfish and alpine newts live their daily lives. And all this is watched from the canopy by flycatchers, finches and majestic birds of prey like the goshawk. But Hungary's forests are no longer pristine. Only 2% are older than 120 years - and it would take even longer for them to reach a wild state. Today, forests are fragmented by roads and residential areas, and entire habitats are disappearing or become uninhabitable as a result of deforestation. We will explore the complex relationships that define these communities, and travel back in time to uncover the wild past of the Hungarian mountains. These are the lost forests of Hungary.