The Anapteros Forest (ah-nap-tur-ross)
New Lakonia's Green Jewel
The Anapteros Forest is the largest old-growth forest on Arcadia, with an approximate age of 60 million years and a total area of 7,130,700 km2. It has been likened to a temperate Amazon, in reference to the vast tropical rainforest of South America on Earth, although the Anapteros is older, by far larger, and practically untouched by sapient hands. It lies to the north of the continent of New Lakonia, forming the boreal woodland found within the planet's Arctic Circle to the seasonal woodland that borders Lakonia's central plains. Dendrologists have discovered, thus far, over 5,000 species of trees alone, with estimates for the total number placed much higher at around 15,000-20,000. Almost half of the planet's total biodiversity in terms of fauna and flora is believed to have its origins in the Anapteros, with Aves (avian) and Volancerta (flying lizards) species being especially well-represented among the forest's dizzying heights and thick undergrowth.
Human and Vasgarth habitation is mainly built in clearings or in the trees themselves; plenty of examples of trees are tall and sturdy enough to hold up large structures for residential, research and storage purposes. The latter method is particularly favoured by The Northern Alliance, whose settlements prefer to have a minimal impact on nature. Other major factions with outposts across the Anapteros are the CFAS (Commonwealth Front of Arcadian Science), E/E/E (Earth Empire Exodists), and the AEU (Arcadian Explorer's Union). Although wanton deforestation is largely frowned upon, especially by Isolationist factions, areas have been set aside for sustainable logging. The impact of this is yet to be fully seen and understood, as experts believe that the sudden changes in the environment caused by human and Vasgarth habitation may have a more profound effect on the ecosystem than it would on the likes of Earth.
Geography
The Boreal Landscape
Much of the northern edge of the Anapteros is within Arcadia's Arctic Circle, and therefore is made up of boreal or snow forest (sometimes also referred to as taiga forest), a generally frigid and snow-covered landscape that is home to hardy, scrub-like flora. During the summer melt, much of the landscape becomes a large interconnected series of deep-water peat bogs, interspersed with semi-aquatic plants and trees. These precious few months of warmth are quickly replaced by a long winter for the rest of the year, where the ground freezes and becomes traversable again. The ground in the forest regions and north to the taiga plains is made up of permafrost that is covered in compacted layers of snow and ice for most of the year. To the south, the boreal region is bordered by the Clawmark Hills, a glacial formation. To the north, past the taiga, is the beginning of the Arctic Ice Sheet that leads to the polar cap via precarious land bridges that are not traversable in the summer. Parts of the boreal forest border the beginning of the temperate forest zone.
The Clawmark Hills
The glacial formation known as the Clawmark Hills, named as such for the long vertical stripes on the hills that denote various stages of the glacial melt, are leftovers of Arcadia's last ice age. They mark the furthest extent of the glaciers in this period of geological history on the continent. Now forming the southern border of the boreal region, the Clawmark is a series of tall, undulating hills with sparse plant life of simple grasses, scattered coniferous-like trees, and mats of scrubby shrubs. It provides a source of fresh spring water at four points across its range, however, all of which trickle down the hills in streams and join up with the northern branch of the Anapteros River.The Temperate Zone
Often considered to be the heart of the Anapteros due to its habitability, the temperate forest stretches across almost a quarter of the continent of New Lakonia, from the edge of the Clawmark Hills in the north to the boundary of the Kiliomengi Plains in the south. The Diodenas mountain range begins in the east of the forest and stretches in a crescent shape across part of the forest's south-eastern edge. The mountains are the source of three of the Anapteros' rivers; the mighty Anapteros, which drains into Lake Dioden and snakes across most of New Lakonia's north, as well as the smaller Krystallina and Dioden Rivers. The coastal forests of Herakles Bay and Perseus Bay are on the temperate zone's western and eastern edges. Weather throughout most of the zone is mild in summer and winter, with high precipitation that allows a huge variety of flora and funga to flourish in the generally damp conditions.
The Diodenas Mountains
The Diodenas mountain range looms on the eastern and south-eastern edge of the Anapteros, dividing a huge swathe of the temperate forest from the Kiliomengi Plains. It is thought to have been formed by New Lakonia's central tectonic plate merging with the northern plate millions of years ago to create the super-continent of, what is now known as, New Lakonia. The mountains themselves are snow-capped shear peaks with many interconnecting passes, making travel from one side of the range to the other treacherous due to the risk of avalanches, but not especially difficult. It has an average height of 3,500 metres across the range, with the tallest peak being Mt. Neos Taygetus at 5,671 metres. The Anapteros, Krystallina and Dioden Rivers find their sources in the mountains, which drain from mountain streams into Lake Dioden. Due to severe weather conditions, which includes high winds and frequent snowstorms, the Diodenas Mountains contain very little flora beyond simple lichens and mosses; coniferous-like trees and shrubs do exist at lower elevations, but higher elevations are often bare and blasted. Although not forest itself, it is a vital part of the region's ecosystem and so is considered an essential geographical location within the Anapteros.Lake Dioden
The sources of the Anapteros and Dioden Rivers drain into Lake Dioden, which is the largest and deepest single body of freshwater in New Lakonia's north. It lies at the western feet of the Diodenas Mountains, with the Anapteros River branching out from its west bank and the Dioden River from its south bank. The lake itself is large enough that it contains a smattering of small islands at its centre. These islets form a kind of microcosm of the lake's temperate surroundings, with wooded glades and fungal diaspora. The deep lake is also home to a wide diversity of aquatic flora, especially freshwater weeds that are akin to seaweeds of the ocean.The Anapteros, Krystallina, and Dioden Rivers
Sourced from the Diodenas Mountains, the three rivers of the Anapteros are long and winding with many tributaries and small lakes branching off of them. The Anapteros River is the longest in the region and on the continent, branching into three major tributaries that supply freshwater to the north, west, and south of the temperate zone. Three tributaries of the western branch drain into Herakles Bay, whereas one tributary of the southern branch drains into the Xiphos Strait. Springwater streams from the Clawed Hills meet up with the northern branch, forming a tributary that runs against the prevailing current of the river. The Krystalline River, named for its crystal-clear waters, has two branches; one stretches into the temperate forest to the west and the other drains from three tributaries into Perseus Bay. The Dioden River takes its source from Lake Dioden, with the Diodenas Mountains sourcing it separately further to the south. It is a simple river that drains its main source into the head of the Xiphos Strait.The Coastal Forests
On the western and eastern coasts of New Lakonia, there are swathes of coastal forest that bound Herakles Bay and Perseus Bay respectively. They are small regions in comparison to the rest of the Anapteros, being made up of sandy and rocky soil that only lends itself to the hardiest of flora. The trees are usually sparse and spindly-looking compared to their massive counterparts in the rest of the Anapteros, with minimal vegetation that is typically reserved for the main, upper-branches of the plant. On the other hand, grasses do not mind poor soil and are in great abundance on the coast, flourishing from the plentiful amount of sunlight. Although the eastern coastal forest meets the sea with high cliffs, the western coastal forest is lined spectacularly with a mix of sand and pebble beaches miles wide, spanning almost the entire length of the continent's north. The tide is known for coming in and out very quickly however, and so traversing the beaches are dangerous without taking appropriate precautions. Rockpools are extremely common, harbouring a variety of coastal and sea life washed up by the oft-fierce waves.Ecosystem
The Boreal Forest and Bogs
Almost a perpetually frozen landscape, the boreal forest and bogs in the north of the Anapteros Forest are nonetheless thriving ecosystems for a variety of fauna and flora. The peat bogs and their semi-aquatic trees and plants are a unique ecological feature of the Anapteros, with the rest of the forest being made up of land-based flora suited to a solid forest floor. During the summer thaw that sees the permafrost lose most of its top layers of snow, the bogs turn from traversable sheets of ice to deep, watery peat bogs, making them difficult and dangerous terrain to navigate for larger animals. For this reason, most migrate further south into the Anapteros' warmer climes or stay to the north's forest regions. Despite this, arthropod and avian activity is markedly increased around the bogs during this time, the former taking advantage of the relative warmth to find food and the latter finding it in the arthropods themselves. The few amphibians that call this region home tend to have the extraordinary ability to withstand being frozen over the winter, only to emerge in the late spring to mate, lay eggs, and find enough food to do the process all over again. With the summer season being so very short in the north, a lot of non-migratory fauna are forced into time-limited breeding seasons like this, with their lifecycles seemingly extended only because they spend most of it in hibernation. Those that do not hibernate tend to roam frequently between the bogs, forests, and taiga plains for sustenance, and are often specialised in finding food buried deep beneath compacted layers of snow.
The glacial Clawmark Hills, which are bounded on the northern, western, and eastern sides by the peat bogs, provide fresh sources of spring water that trickle down into the Anapteros River. This serves as a stop-gap for migrating animals, who take advantage of the sheltered spots to hide from predators and find the sustenance necessary to continue their journey. Many predators and prey from the boreal region are known to seasonally change their pigment colour to blend in with the environment; for most of the year, this is typically a white camouflage for snow and ice, but summer pigmentation can vary wildly depending on the animal.
The Temperate Forest
The most diverse ecosystem in the Anapteros, the temperate forest is a hive of life throughout the entire year due to its mild conditions. Plenty of precipitation is a major boon to the lush vegetation, with deciduous trees making up most of the flora. Trees in the temperate zone are especially ancient and lofty, with the uppermost canopies often exceeding 100 metres or more. In particularly dense regions, flora on the forest floor struggles to thrive due to a lack of sunlight, and so it is not uncommon to see mats of moss, algae and lichen, as well as vast colonies of fungi, feeding off of decomposing organic matter like fallen trees. Shrubs, grasses and reeds are more commonly found in forest clearings or along the edge of the rivers, where the trees are not so overshadowing and plenty of light is available for photosynthesis. Fauna in the temperate zone is just as diverse; mammals in particular are very common, with the forest serving as the next step towards the Kiliomengi Plains for migratory animals escaping the boreal bogs in summer. The branching Anapteros River, which has its source in the Diodenas Mountains, acts as a pathway for animals navigating the forest through its many tributaries. The forested environment is also conducive to avian fauna, which take advantage of the soaring tree canopies to roost and nest, and the rich soil of the forest floor to find food.The Western and Eastern Coastal Forests
The coastal forests on both sides of the continent are known for the rough weather sweeping in from the seas and infertile ground, leaving little in the way of sustenance for fauna and flora to take advantage of. In this ecosystem, the flora is typically accustomed to the nutrient-poor, wind-battered conditions and have evolved accordingly, being deep-rooted and excellent at finding and utilising nutrition from far underground or from alternative sources. As the wind dries the soil out quickly, they are also good at storing water for the long-term. Plants generally look pale and insipid in colour, but this is not to be mistaken for poor health; they spend their energy on survival rather than producing chlorophyll or other pigments. Predatory mammals that survive on ambulatory molluscs and crustaceans thrive here, usually by creating burrows underground to hide from storms. Reptiles do much the same, enjoying the warm, dry climate during times of sun and going into brumation (hibernation) for short bursts to escape the worst of the weather. Volancerta, a new taxonomic class of feathered lizards likened to the archaeopteryx of prehistoric Earth, and whose members do not fit comfortably in Aves or Reptilia, were first discovered in this region. It is thought they too take advantage of the better weather, hunting when the sun is out and retreating further into the temperate zone when the storms roll in.Ecosystem Cycles
Spring
A time of renewal and life for much of the Anapteros, spring heralds the tailing-off of winter and the beginning of a new rainy season. Mists of drizzle coat the temperate zone in an almost perpetual dampness, whereas the coastland continues to be battered by fierce storms and gale-force winds. The boreal region remains frigid until late spring, when the first hints of the upcoming summer thaw begins to make itself known with the scrubby grass and shrubs poking through the snow. This provides the indication for migratory animals that they need to prepare to migrate south to avoid the thawing bogs. For most fauna, spring is also the start of the breeding season. The warmer weather encourages the fruiting of plants and arthropod activity to provide plenty of nutrition for mated pairs and any resulting offspring. Come late spring, precipitation begins to ease up.Summer
Summer is a time of plenty for inhabitants of the Anapteros, with flowering flora in full bloom, undergrowth vegetation making the most of the little sun it can get, and arthropod activity at its height. In the north, the boreal bogs are fully-thawed, forcing the migration of larger fauna to the south. Predators make the most of the migrations by picking off prey taking advantage of the cool shade of the dense forest, or stopping to drink at the Anapteros River. The coastal forest is the calmest it will be all year, with long periods of sun interrupted only occasionally by low-precipitation thunderstorms; dry lightning starting forest fires in the dry climate is not an unusual hazard this region faces, and it is often made worse by strong coastal winds, although the scorched flora adds nutrients to a soil that desperately needs as much as it can get. It is an ideal season for offspring of the spring season to grow up in, and highly beneficial for fast-maturing species born in the summer, as it reduces the strain on parents finding food.Autumn
Autumn marks the beginning of the second rainy season and the gradual decay of summer's life. The deciduous flora begins to die off, dropping organic matter like leaves and fruits to the forest floor to decompose, whilst funga thrives on the rot. In the north, the boreal bogs start to freeze over again; the animals that migrated south for the summer begin to head back to the north late in the season, followed by the same predators that hunted them on the way down the continent. The coastal forest renews its storm season with gusto, ending its dry period with sheets of rain and high winds. By now, the breeding season for most species is well and truly over, with some species preparing for hibernation or bulking up on food to survive the winter.Winter
Winter is the coldest and driest season of the year, interspersed in some regions with snowfall and even blizzards, but generally just conducive to frosty conditions. The temperate forest is stark and bare with most of its trees having lost their leaves in the autumn, whereas the coniferous and cold-hardy boreal region remains relatively unchanged in its landscape, besides an extra layer of snow on the ground. The coastal forest resists most frosts due to its warmer sea climate, although it is still much colder than usual and maintains fierce high winds that whip terrifically powerful waves against the beaches and cliffs. A lot of fauna is either hibernating until spring or doing its best to shelter from the worst of the weather, whilst picking through the scarce remains of edible material left on the forest floor. Predators typically become more desperate around this time, roaming far and wide for a meal and attacking prey they normally wouldn't.Fauna & Flora
-Please note that records are likely to change over time with the discovery and accrediting of more species. If an article you would like to view is not listed below, please be patient; it is likely still undergoing review for submission to the archives.-:VI-0679 'Alexandria': (CFAS Archiving Virtual Intelligence)
Animalia
Aves
Mimica:Volancerta
Serrabeccus:Maps
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Geography of the Anapteros Forest
A map showing the general geography of the Anapteros Forest, north New Lakonia, with its corresponding biomes made clear.
Alternative Name(s)
(previously) The Lakonian Expanse, The Northern Expanse
Type
Forest
Location under
Included Locations
Included Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Contested By
Related Traditions
Inhabiting Species
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by Locklear |
| An example of the Anapteros River's western tributary branch, carving through the temperate forest on its way to drain out into Herakles Bay. |
-PLEASE NOTE: This archive entry is still a work in progress and some of the information within may be missing or incomplete. Only verified information is permitted to be entered into the archive. Thank you for your understanding.-:VI-0679 'Alexandria': (CFAS Archiving Virtual Intelligence)
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