Life In The Deciduous Forest (1962)

in the eastern United States there are patches of woods remains of the once great deciduous forest that extended from Great Lakes to the Carolina in this region there are subzero temperatures in Winter and near Tropic heat in summer and so the life of the forest must have a means of surviving this drastic variation in climate birds from the Evergreen regions far to the North like the crossbills winter in the forest feeding on seeds with the coming of spring the annual cycle of renewed life becomes apparent in the Woods trees are without leaves during though the sun warms the forest floor melting the layer of frost that winter time although most life forms have L dormant during the cold weather some animals like the deer active all winter have survived on food left over from last Summer's production the first signs of New Life appear on the forest floor often before the snow has gone the skunk cabbage appears among the leaf litter the same warmth and light that makes the flowers grow Rouses the bees blood root blooms in the longer days replenishing their stores of nectar and pollen the bees unknowingly assist in the pollination of [Music] flowers a tortoise shell butterfly which has wintered over as an adult visits hepatica blossoms Spring Beauty carpets the forest floor and the Chipmunk awakens from his hibernation above the floor in the spawn to the warmth of spring the spice bush flowers Berry branches Leaf out in the herbaceous Lair violets bloom in the full light of the leafless woods Dutchman's britches Jack in the pulpit in this period before the leaves open on the trees the flowers forming the herbaceous laay are most spectacular dog tooth violet or yellow Adder tongue many early spring flowers like the Trillium cram their entire season's growth into this brief sundrenched period squirrel corn blooms above the herbaceous and shrub layers the nut hatch and the redheaded woodpecker foraging in bark crevices for insects Now find food more easily birds like the morning which moves South to escape the worst of winter return with the spring cowbirds arrive early in this upper layer the beach tree is one of the first to open its protective Bud scales and expose its leaves the tulip trees leaves were packed in the buds last fall the maples leap out adding another color and texture to the changing fabric of the forest as the new leaves expand and shade the lower layers the trout lily goes to seed and the white Trillium Fades some of the growth that is started in the sunny forest will die for lack of light as the new leaves above expand Maple seedlings can tolerate shade this gives them an advantage in the lower l layers of the forest as the green leaves develop food manufacturer begins green plants of all Forest layers take in carbon dioxide from the air water and nutrients from the soil light energy from the Sun and in a process called photosynthesis manufacture the basic food for all life the green leaves are the base of the food chain herbivorous insects eat leaves many kinds of caterpillars the larvae of moths and butterflies eat various kinds of plants spending the whole summer devouring leaves and growing other insects have been developing all summer the walking stick feeds most actively at night on tree leaves at maturity it's about 4 in Long but only an eigh of an inch wide and the resemblance to a twig has helped it survive Katy dids are also herbivorous insects some are pink but the more common ones are green many Forest Birds obtain food which was originally plant material by eating herbivorous insights the upper story of the forest is the range of the Oro the wood peee also feeds in the upper layers its food is flying insects caught in midair the redheaded woodpecker builds its nest hole high in a tree it has specially adapted feet tail and tongue as well as Bill and skull formation nestlings will eat their weight in insect food each day the proletary warbler favors clearings near water and nests in an old woodpecker hole the wood thresh seeks the seclusion of the young trees of the lower Forest layers the yellow warbler finds both food and shelter in the low shrubs and bushes a variety of insects is eaten by the toi that feeds close to the forest floor in all layers of the Forest Community from the floor to the upper story green leaves form the base of each food chain herbivores eat the leaves and are in turn eaten by carnivores trees provide both food and shelter the two factors that make the Forest Community possible the leaves of the upper story create a translucent cover over the woods beneath from the hot summer sun slowing evaporation of moisture maintaining a relatively humid environment rain is vital to a forest vast amounts of water are needed for growing and making food by photosynthesis the leaves of the canopy break the force of Falling Rain holding some moisture on their surfaces and letting the rest drip slowly to repeat the action on the leaves below the rain drips slowly down among the ground plants to be soaked up by the loose mulch of Dead Leaves and litter of the forest floor drops are held on the leaves to fall to the ground long after the rainstorm has passed by when a tree dies it continues to be an integral part of the Forest Community it's a support for Vines food and shelter for wood boring insects a predator of one of these wood boarding insects is the euman wasp with a 4in opositor the female euman penetrates through bark and wood to lay its egg on the insect larva when trees are blown down by the wind the shallow rooted base is tipped up creating shelter under it the part of the forest floor that was shaded by the the tree leaves becomes exposed to sunlight plants which had been suppressed by Forest shade grow rapidly in these islands of light plants best adapted to compete for the available light in space will dominate the community the substance of a tree is the result of many years of growth products of photosynthesis in its leaves are now stored in the wood Decay is the use of these stored Elements by the living community of the forest floor the fallen tree is gradually reduced to soil in The Damp contact with the forest floor some of the first organisms of Decay are fungi when a fungus spore germinates it produces a thread-like filament which grows secreting enzymes that attack wood breaking it down into simpler substances which are absorbed the bracket or toad stool or mushroom that appears on the surface is a short-lived reproductive portion of the fungus plant slime mole fungi are also agents of Decay the mining of carpenter ants allows entry of other organisms some invertebrates like these Beetle larve are adapted to feed on the hardwood of Fallen logs and reduce the solid structure to Tiny fragments exposing a vastly enlarged surface to other organisms this is one step in converting the hard substance of a fallen tree to soil and nutrients which can be used by other living things when decaying agents have softened the wood colonies of horned pelis beetles can move in to feed and reduce the log still further slug and snails also convert plant materials to more simple nutrients herbivores are themselves eaten by other animals wh leap snails and wood snails serve as food for larger creatures the millipede an animal that lives in the soft decayed wood or soil is one one of a vast host of creatures that feed on the forest floor debris bacteria fungi and animals of the forest floor Community convert back to basic nutrients tons of Fallen material each year in addition to reducing plant debris herbivores are also food for many carnivores microscopic animals of the floor are the food of the tiny red Mite the cicada spends most of its life in the soil well as a nymph during its brief adult period it lays its eggs in trees when the eggs hatch the NIMS fall to the ground and enter the soil where they develop the adults may be prayed upon by the Giant cic Killer wasp the cicada is paralyzed and carried to the wasp's burrow inside the burrow an egg will be laid on it when the egg hatches the WASP larvae will feed on the cicada larger animals are eaten by the forest amphibians such as Jefferson salamander the red f form of the n and the American toad the 7in long skink is a reptile which beats actively on small [Music] animals a most vious Predator is the Shrew it must eat every hour and feeds on snails insects salamanders and may even take larger prey it prefers to move about just under the loose layer of Dead Leaves this affords some protection from its Predators like the scree owl which hunts at night for mammals as well as invertebrates the most numerous mammal of the forest floor is the deer mouse winter and summer it is busy scouring the forest litter for nuts and seeds which it sometimes stores its eyes are adapted for night vision mice are the preferred diet of the long-eared owl the Chipmunk is a creature of the forest floor but it can climb trees invading the upper layers of the forest Chipmunks occasionally eat young birds or eggs although their usual diet consists of seeds fruits and berries and some invertebrates the raccoon also eats both plants and animals foraging for a great variety of food at night deer are browsing mammals which eat the twigs and leaves of a number of food plants that are low enough to reach FS of the white tail deer display excellent camouflage the spotted pattern of the coat blends with a su dappled forest floor as the season matures plants produce seeds fruits of the Jack in the Pulpit will turn bright red small seeds are food of The Goldfinch even the younger fed seeds softened first by the adults raspberries contain several seeds in each Berry grapes are born in generous bunches banberry fruits called dolls eyes are dramatically display BL the red buried Elder provides fruits that are eaten by the cedar waxwing in its wanderings it may discharge a living seed and thus assist in establishing new plants as the days shorten with the approach of winter squirrels begin to gather the r ing nuts from the trees some of these hoarded seeds will not be found Again by the squirrels and they may grow into trees the trees themselves respond to the changing season green chlorophyl breaks down in the leaves and new or previously masked pigments are seen deciduous means falling and the leaves fall from the trees about 2 tons per acre fall to the forest floor providing a layer of insulation which shelters much life the flow of sap is reduced and thus the trees withstand the winter although the forests of eastern North America have been greatly disturbed by man the patches that still stand show the complex relationships between living things in all layers of the Forest Community as the scene changes with the season each plant and animal contributes to the continuing Rejuvenation of the forest in this environment dominated by the trees which impose the annual cycle of light and shade each living thing has become adapted to survive