Thanks to countless Halloween horror films, most people would not think of wandering into a woodland in the hours of darkness.
But with the right equipment and at the right location, venturing out at night into Scotland’s rainforest can open the door to a magical wonderland.
Equipped with Ultraviolet (UV) torches, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) photographers have captured a glowing secretive world normally hidden to human senses.
Biofluorescence is where organisms absorb a low wavelength of light and then emit a high wavelength of light - the light that is emitted is a different colour from the light that is absorbed. While some animals can see this emitted light, humans are unable to view this wavelength unless using a UV light source.
The rich biodiversity in these rare temperate rainforests found on Scotland’s west coast, mean they are a great place to explore the phenomenon of Biofluorescence and see a range of vivid colours on lichens, plants and invertebrates.
FLS manages and conserves around 10,000 hectares of ‘core’ rainforest - around a third of the total 30,325 ha area across Scotland. Efforts to safeguard this unique habitat involve the removal of commercial conifers to return areas of native woodlands and their associated flora back to health, clearing invasive shrubs, and reduced grazing by deer and livestock.
READ MORE: Endangered mountain trees making a comeback in Scotland, study shows
Rainforests aren't the only place to see examples of Biofluorescence in plant and animal species - gardens can provide a great place to start with brightly emitting flowers. Some of the patterns seen on flowers are even believed to lead bees to pollen and nectar. Understanding of biofluorescence is constantly evolving, as is the study of how organisms use it for communication, camouflage or even mating purposes.
The photos show an array of woodland creatures and plants including slaters, slugs and lichen that normally appear subdued to human eyes in a dazzling new light.
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