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World Builders: Food Web in the Deciduous Forest
By Elizabeth Anne Viau

This is a forest of angiosperms, the flowering plants. We find fruit trees and berry bushes growing wild here, along with insects to pollinate them. Although these forests may go through mixed stands with conifers, the conifers gradually disappear as changes in rainfall and climate favor deciduous trees.

The deciduous forest supports a diverse ecology. A warm growing season with abundant moisture encourages plants to grow, and the ground is covered with small plants, flowers, ferns, and grasses. In spring the trees and shrubs produce new leaves and colorful flowers. In summer the tall trees cast shade on the forest floor, providing ideal growing conditions for shade-tolerant plants. Seeds and berries provide for plant reproduction, and feed small rodents and birds. The leaves that fall in the autumn provide plenty of material for decomposers, soil bacteria, worms, grubs, and fungi. All these plants together are the primary producers.

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