Silky fall in a step-and-pool mountain stream

A step and pool stream in the Apennine Mountains, Tuscany, Italy.

The step–pool morphology is how nature dissipates gradient energy in steep mountain streams and finds an equilibrium profile. This stream flows through rocks and trees in a headwater catchment in central Italy. Forested headwater catchments provide multiple ecosystem services as they regulate water flow, reduce erosion, and filter sediments, helping maintain stable and clean downstream rivers. They also provide critical habitat and organic inputs that support aquatic ecosystems. The low light in this dense forest and the resulting long exposure time created the silky effect of flowing water.
This stream is part of our experimental forested catchment, Re della Pietra, Apennine Mountains, Tuscany, Italy (https://danielepenna.wixsite.com/redellapietra)

Technical details: Canon EOS M6 Mark ii, Canon EF-M 22 mm f/2 STM, ISO 100, 30 sec, f/16, tripod.