axwax, We went to see the nearby tufa channels for this #SilentSunday.
These channels are caused by a karst spring whose water has a particularly high lime content.
The carbon dioxide in the water is partially released by the warming water, as well as consumed by algae and moss.
This causes the lime to precipitate and gradually form these structures, a few millimetres every year.
Sadly the water chose a different route halfway down, causing the moss (and channel) to dry up.
View of the top half of a moss-covered tufa channel, approximately 30-50cm tall. In this part the channel is filled with water, which is overflowing in several places. The moss is lush and green and the soil is brown and muddy where the water is finding alternative routes. The tuft channel is surrounded by broad-leaf trees, many of which are covered in moss and/or fungi.
Closeup of a segment of a moss-covered tufa channel. In this segment the channel has dried up completely, causing the moss to turn crispy and of a brownish-green colour.
A moss-covered tufa channel, approximately 60-80cm tall, as seen from below. In this segment the channel has dried up completely, causing the moss to turn crispy and of a brownish-green colour. The channel is surrounded by leaves from the surrounding broad-leaf trees.