The chances are that if next time you’re out walking in the woods you look up you’ll spot a fascinating phenomenon known as “crown shyness” which only made more intriguing due to the fact that nobody really knows what causes it.
Crown Shyness refers to the behaviour of trees when their top branches avoid touching each other, creating the intriguing patterns you see in the photos below. The behaviour was first observed in the 1920’s at to this day people have come up with numerous theories as to why it occurs.
Some believe the trees avoid touching each other to avoid spreading harmful insects, others believe that they are trying to protect themselves from wind damage. There’s also the theory that they do this to optimise light exposure for photosynthesis, but perhaps it’s a combination of all the above. Either way it’s a spectacular sight that shows just how beautiful nature can be.
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