Three Generation Wood and Elephant Trunk Wood Introduction
After the first generation fell, the openness of the tree trunks allowed more sunlight to penetrate. Coupled with the climate of the foggy forest zone and the horizontal position of the trees on the ground, the surface of the trees can grow moss to retain moisture. These factors made it easier for seeds that landed on the dead cypress tree bodies to germinate, thus giving rise to a second generation. The second generation grew atop the first generation and faced the fate of being cut down after several hundred years. The seeds of the third generation then sprouted from the second generation trees. This cycle of death and rebirth of the forest has led to the current appearance. Next to the three generations of trees, there is a tree stump known as "Elephant Trunk Wood," which, when viewed from the trail above, resembles a resting elephant's trunk. In fact, these oddly shaped tree stumps are scattered throughout the national forest recreation area. Nowadays, when describing the appearance of these cypress remains, we look at the location of the stumps and can visualize that a hundred years ago, Alishan was filled with massive original cypress forests, with these thousand-year-old cypress trees densely clustered together, creating a breathtaking spectacle!
