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Alan Watson Featherstone

ECOLOGIST, NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER AND INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER
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A day in the Levishie rainforest

Glenmoriston: 24 November 2015 7 Comments

Hazel tree (Corylus avellana) and the trunk of a silver birch tree (Betula pendula) covered in moss beside the River Moriston at Levishie.
Hazel tree (Corylus avellana) and the trunk of a silver birch tree (Betula pendula) covered in moss in temperate rainforest beside the River Moriston at Levishie.

About six miles downstream from Dundreggan, and just a mile from where the River Moriston flows into Loch Ness, Glenmoriston narrows dramatically at a place called Levishie. The topography there steepens, and on the south side of the glen in particular the land slopes precipitously down to the river. This provides shade from the sun for most of the year, as well as some protection from the wind, and these factors, together with the constant spray of water from the gently tumbling water, create ideal conditions for a small patch of temperate rainforest to flourish alongside the river there.

Trunk of goat willow (Salix caprea) covered in tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) near the River Moriston at Levishie.
Trunk of a goat willow tree (Salix caprea) covered in tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) near the River Moriston at Levishie.

I often stop at Levishie on my way to Dundreggan, and on several occasions over the years I’ve never made it any further into the glen, as I’ve found so much of interest, during what I expected to be brief stops there. In late October this year, on a wet and overcast day when I was headed towards Dundreggan, I decided to take advantage of what were ideal conditions to be in a temperate rainforest and dedicate the day to exploring the riparian area at Levishie instead of going on to our own land further up the glen.

Detail of the lobes of the tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) on the trunk of the goat willow.
Detail of the lobes of the tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) on the trunk of the goat willow.

While it may not be widely known that Scotland has its own rainforests, there are still small scattered patches of the temperate rainforest ecosystem that formerly were much more widespread in western parts of the country. From Argyll northwards to Wester Ross, most of the low-lying coastal areas would have hosted this green, mossy and distinctive forest type, while inland, along narrow river valleys such as this at Levishie, smaller pockets of rainforest would have thrived at suitable sites. Requiring year-round mild temperatures and constant high local atmospheric humidity, temperate rainforests are characterised by a profusion of ferns, bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) and lichens that cover the trees, rocks and the forest floor itself. Green is the prevalent colour everywhere, and entering a temperate rainforest is reminiscent of a tropical rainforest due to the verdant lushness of the vegetation.

Another section of the tree lungwort on the goat willow trunk. The brown circular shapes on the lichen are the apothecia - the structures that release the spores of the fungal partner in the symbiotic organism that is the lichen.
Another section of the tree lungwort on the goat willow trunk. The brown circular shapes  are the apothecia – the structures that release the spores of the fungal partner in the symbiotic organism that is the lichen.

During the past three decades I’ve visited many of the temperate rainforest areas of the world, from the southwest of Chile, the Fiordland region of New Zealand’s South Island and Tasmania to the laurel forests of Madeira and La Gomera in the Canary islands, as well as the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the USA. In the British Isles, I’ve been to tiny fragments of our former rainforests at Killarney National Park in Ireland and the western valleys of Wales, as well as a number of areas in northwestern Scotland. Because these more local patches of rainforest are only tiny fragments of what they must have been in the past, they are very important, both in an ecological context, and also by providing a window into another aspect of our (mostly) lost forest heritage. For me it’s always a special experience to step into their green and luxuriant umbrage, especially on a wet day like this, when temperate rainforests are at their most vibrant.

Fallen leaf of a downy birch (Betula pubescens) caught amongst the lobes of the tree lungwort.
Fallen leaf of a downy birch (Betula pubescens) caught amongst the lobes of the tree lungwort.

Almost immediately my eye was drawn to some tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) on a goat willow tree (Salix caprea) near the river. This was particularly lush and brilliant in coloration, with its lobes, or thallus, fully hydrated because of the rain. Tree lungwort is one of the largest lichens occurring in Scotland and is also widely distributed in old growth forests elsewhere in the northern hemisphere – in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and Canada it is considered an indicator species for temperate rainforest ecosystems.

Common bonnet fungus (Mycena galericulata) on a moss-covered dead branch of a hazel (Corylus avellana).
Common bonnet fungus (Mycena galericulata) on a moss-covered dead branch of a hazel (Corylus avellana).

A few feet away, there was a small mushroom growing on a moss-covered dead branch of a hazel tree (Corylus avellana). I recognised it as one of the bonnet fungi (Mycena spp.). There were several of these growing nearby, and when I later sent a sample to Liz Holden, who helps me with fungal identifications, she confirmed it as being the common bonnet fungus (Mycena galericulata).

Two more common bonnet fungi (Mycena galericulata) on another piece of dead hazel covered in moss.
Two more common bonnet fungi (Mycena galericulata) fruiting on another piece of dead hazel covered in moss.

 

 

 

 

Like tree lungwort, this species is widely distributed in the northern hemispheric, and is saprotrophic, meaning that it grows on, and decomposes, the dead wood of trees.

Autumn foliage and multiple trunks of a hazel tree (Corylus avellana) beside the River Moriston at Levishie.
Autumn foliage and multiple trunks of a hazel tree (Corylus avellana) beside the River Moriston at Levishie.

Hazel is one of the most common trees in this section of riparian woodland along the River Moriston, and the leaves were brilliant in their autumn colours.

This dense clump of parallel trunks is a typical growth pattern for hazel. Although it is occurring naturally here, it is more commonly seen as the result of coppicing , which stimulates the production of new stems.
This dense clump of parallel trunks is a typical growth pattern for hazel. Although it is occurring naturally here, it is more commonly seen as the result of coppicing, which stimulates the production of new stems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer view of the hazel trunks, showing how they are completely covered in crustose lichens.
Closer view of the hazel trunks, showing how they are completely covered in crustose lichens.

Hazel is a very important component of the temperate rainforests in Scotland, and these Atlantic hazel woods, as they are known, are the habitat for a unique assemblage of lichens and fungi, as described in a recently-published book. The fungi include the unusual hazel gloves fungus (Hypocreopsis rhododendri), and a number of rare crustose lichens – those being the lichens that grow flush with their substrate, which in this case is the trunks of the hazels.

On these hazels, the lichens lower down on the stems have been replaced by mosses higher up.
On these hazels, the lichens lower down on the stems have been replaced by mosses higher up.

I’m not knowledgeable enough in lichen identifications to know if these hazels at Levishie are hosting any of the rare species, but the stems were completely covered in crustose lichens. These had grown contiguously with each other, so that the edge of one lichen met the edges of its neighbours, and this had resulted in the actual bark of the hazels no longer being visible on some sections of the stems.

 

Moss-covered trunk of a silver birch tree (Betula pendula) beside the River Moriston at Levishie.
Moss-covered trunk of a silver birch tree (Betula pendula) beside the River Moriston at Levishie.

Higher up on several of the hazels, the stems were covered in moss, and this was the case for some other trees as well, with a silver birch (Betula pendula) being a particularly good example.

Here, the silver birch also has tree lungwort growing on its trunk,s whilst the hazel behind is festooned with the lichen.
Tree lungwort growing on the trunk of the sliver birch, and also covering the stems of the hazel behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer view of the tree lungwort on the trunk of the sliver birch, with more hazel in the background.
Closer view of the tree lungwort on the trunk of the silver birch, with more hazel in the background.

The mosses and lichens that grow on the trees are known as epiphytes, and their abundance is one of the defining features of rainforests, in both tropical and temperate regions. Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants or trees, using those for support, but not taking any nutrients from them. This distinguishes them from parasitic plants, which obtain some or all of their nutrients from their host plant or tree. In rainforests, it is the high atmospheric humidity that enables these epiphytes to flourish, as they can gain the moisture they need from water droplets in the air, and nutrients from airborne dust and litter falling from the trees above.

Hazel with its stems festooned with tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria).
Hazel with its stems festooned with tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria).

In temperate rainforests, the trunks and branches of the trees are completely enveloped in epiphytic mosses and lichens, sometimes forming mats or cushions several inches thick. On a small scale, these form convoluted topographical surfaces that provide a large amount of habitat for insects and other invertebrates such as springtails. These in turn attract predators including spiders and harvestmen, adding to the diversity of life in these lush green ecosystems.

Closer view of the hazel stems covered in tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria).
Closer view of the hazel stems covered in tree lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria).

Because arboreal lichens derive their nourishment from the air and rain, they are very sensitive to atmospheric pollution and tree lungwort has been used in the UK for many decades as an indicator of air quality. Its presence here at Levishie illustrates that the air in this part of the Highlands is free of pollutants and generally very clean. This is due to the absence of sources of atmospheric pollution to the west, where the prevailing winds come from. Instead, the storms that blow in off the Atlantic Ocean bring clean air, and also clear away any pollutants that have accumulated from more local sources, such as the smoke from coal burned in houses.

Another view of the tree lungwort on the hazel trunks.
Another view of the tree lungwort on the hazel trunks.

While most lichens consist of a symbiosis between two organisms – a fungus and an alga – tree lungwort is one of those which also includes a third partner, in this case a cyanobacterium (Nostoc sp.).

Detailed view of the large patch of tree lungwort on the hazel stems.
Detailed view of the large patch of tree lungwort on the hazel stems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tree lungwort and bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) on a dead hazel stem.
Tree lungwort and bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) on a dead hazel stem.

The presence of the cyanobacterium provides another mechanism by which the lichen gains nutrients, as Nostoc sp. is able to absorb, or ‘fix’, nitrogen from the air and incorporate it into the thallus, or main body, of the lichen. This complements the action of the algal partner in the lichen, which harnesses the sun’s energy through the process of photosynthesis, producing carbohydrates and sugars.

 

Another view of the tree lungwort and bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) together on the dead hazel stem.
Another view of the tree lungwort and bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) together on the dead hazel stem.

On one of the stems of the hazel there was an extensive patch of the bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum), and its shapes seemed to reflect those of the lobes of the tree lungwort.

Here, the shapes of the bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) also seem to mimic the fractal growth pattern of the lobes of the tree lungwort.
Here, the shapes of the bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) also seem to mimic the fractal growth pattern of the lobes of the tree lungwort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here the dead hazel stem with the bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) on it is just to the left of centre in the image, and the blaeberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) on the forest floor are just beginning to change colour.
Here the dead hazel stem with the bleeding broadleaf crust fungus (Stereum rugosum) on it is just to the left of centre in the image, and the blaeberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) on the forest floor are just beginning to change colour.

This fungus gains its common name from the fact that if its surface is scratched, a dark red liquid oozes out, looking a little like blood.  It occurs on dead wood and branches of broadleaved trees, especially hazel, and its presence here was an indication that the stem it was growing on had died. This was otherwise difficult to determine, as it was in amongst other living stems, and was mostly covered in tree lungwort, making it impossible to see if the wood was rotting or not. Like the common bonnet fungi I’d seen earlier, this species is saprotrophic, so it helps with the decomposition of the dead wood it fruits on.

Moss-covered oak tree (Quercus petraea) and the branches of a hazel tree, beside the River Moriston at Levishie.
Moss-covered oak tree (Quercus petraea) and the branches of a hazel tree, beside the River Moriston at Levishie.

While I’d spent most of the day in amongst the hazels in this area of forest beside the river, there are a number of old oak trees (Quercus petraea) there as well, and my path took me to one of those now. It looked like a quintessential rainforest tree, resplendent in its green clothing of moss, which covered all the visible parts of its trunk and branches. Indeed it is the combination of oak and hazel which is most characteristic of the temperate rainforests of the British Isles – the so-called Celtic rainforests of Britain and Ireland.

Another view of the moss-covered oak (Quercus petraea). In the centre of the photo, and in the middle of the trunk, there's another patch of tree lungwort.
Another view of the moss-covered oak (Quercus petraea). In the centre of the photo, in the middle of the trunk, there’s another patch of tree lungwort.

There’s something about these old, moss-covered oaks that really speaks to me. They seem particularly full of life and to have a special presence or quality about them, which makes me think of the Ents of Fangorn Forest in Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’.

Here, the same oak tree in the background is framed by hazel on the left, the trunk of another oak just to the right of it, and the trunk of a silver birch (Betula pendula) on the far right.
Here, the same oak tree in the background is framed by hazel on the left, the trunk of another oak just to the right of centre, and the trunk of a silver birch (Betula pendula) on the far right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another cluster of moss-covered hazels beside the River Moriston at Levishie.
Another cluster of moss-covered hazels beside the River Moriston at Levishie.

I was very much enjoying taking my time in exploring this mossy green wonderland beside the river, and had progressed a mere 200 yards or so from my car during most of the day. Every few steps, there was another tree, or group of trees, decorated and embellished with vivid green moss, radiant with life on what was continuing to be a very wet day. It was ideal conditions to be in a temperate rainforest like this. People often think that it’s best to be out in Nature on sunny days, but temperate rainforests like this are at their best in the rain.

Oak mazegill fungi (Daedalia quercina) on the trunk of an oak tree (Quercus petraea) at Levishie. Some more tree lungwort is also visible in the top right of the photograph.
Oak mazegill fungi (Daedalia quercina) on the trunk of an oak tree (Quercus petraea) at Levishie. Some more tree lungwort is also visible in the top right of the photograph.

I continued on a little further, to where I knew there was another oak tree with a particular fungus fruiting on it – the oak mazegill fungus (Daedalia quercina). I’d first seen this on the tree in November 2013, but as a tough bracket fungus, it can persist for several years virtually unchanged. Sure enough, the oak mazegill was still there, just as I remembered it, with a cluster of brackets fruiting together on the trunk of the oak. This fungus is usually found on dead oaks, and this one was visibly in the final stage of its life – there were just a few twigs and branches with any leaves on them.

In this wider view of the oak maze gill fungus (Daedalia quercina), larger patches of tree lungwort can be seen. The small branches with leaves on them were virtually the only part of the oak that was still alive.
In this wider view of the oak maze gill fungus (Daedalia quercina), larger patches of tree lungwort can be seen on the tree trunk. The small branches with leaves on them were virtually the only part of the oak that was still alive.

This fungus derives its common name from the pattern of the pore surface on the underside of each bracket, which resembles a maze, with its labyrinthine pathways. In 2013, I’d taken the photograph below, which clearly shows the mazelike pattern, and this is one of the photographs I’ve included in the 2016 edition of the Trees for Life Engagement Diary. If you’d like to support Trees for Life and enjoy my images of the Caledonian Forest each week of the year, the diary can be ordered here.

Detail of the pore surface of the oak mazegill fungi (Daedalia quercina) on the trunk of the oak (Quercus petraea) at Levishie.
Detail of the pore surface of the oak mazegill fungi (Daedalia quercina) on the trunk of the oak (Quercus petraea) at Levishie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a lot more of the forest to explore along this section of the River Moriston, but the daylight was rapidly fading due to the overcast conditions in the afternoon, so I had to finish up for the day and head for home. However, the day has left me with an appetite for more, so it won’t be too long before I make another visit to this small but beautiful area of rainforest at Levishie.

The natural artwork of Scots pine bark
Autumn in the Inverfarigaig rainforest

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jill Baxter says

    13 April 2016 at 8:48 pm

    So wonderful reading all of this…and what detail you share. I will certainly read it again and draw the attention of family members to your notes. I never knew such wonders existed. I am completely in wonderment and awe. There is no way I could see this, but for your patience and diligence. God bless you indeed

    Reply
  2. Stephen Couling says

    2 December 2015 at 8:57 am

    I am really enjoying reading your posts, Alan. Thank you. Wonderful photography too. Your postcard of the lone Scots Pine with hills in the background has been my inspiration for weeks. You’ll see more of me – I am about to become one of your Focalisers….. Very excited about this and looking forward to spending a lot more time in the Highlands and being an active part of TFL for years to come.
    You may not remember me, but we had a brief conversation over dinner at Findhorn back in September when I came up to be a volunteer for TFL. Looking forward to seeing you again next year.
    Until then – take care and all joy over the Christmas season to you and yours.
    Kindest regards – Stephen

    Reply
  3. Dale says

    1 December 2015 at 4:42 pm

    ALAN:

    Greetings from the great state of Texas !!

    I realize I am undoubtedly biased, but the beauty and detail of the “lower plant” groups, bryophytes and lichens in this case, is eternally amazing. If each of us just stopped a minute to take a closer look at the random branch, rock, or unassuming patch of soil, anyone could see this beauty first-hand.

    It has been a few years since I was in your beloved forest, but I still remember it fondly. Fantastic blog, and a noble effort (Trees for Life) on your part Alan.

    Wishing you all the best,

    DALE

    Reply
  4. Peggy Edwards says

    29 November 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Wonderful post, “to step into their green and luxuriant umbrage,” I’m forwarding this to Dale Kruse a bryologist with the Tracy Herbarium at Texas A&M who did bryology surveys for us with Save Gillies Hill near Stirling, he will enjoy reading it!

    Reply
    • Alan Watson Featherstone says

      30 November 2015 at 10:16 pm

      Hi Peggy,

      Thanks for your feedback on this blog. Your bryologist friend would be right at home in this area at Levishie, as there’s a rich profusion of mosses and liverworts there.

      With best wishes,

      Alan

      Reply
  5. vi shannon says

    26 November 2015 at 9:33 am

    Thank you for this beautiful description of a very special place.
    Reading it made me feel peaceful and full of wonder.
    Thank you Alan,
    Vi

    Reply
    • Alan Watson Featherstone says

      26 November 2015 at 11:17 pm

      Hi Vi,

      Thanks for your feedback – I’m glad you’re continuing to enjoy my blogs.

      With best wishes,

      Alan

      Reply

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