Category Plants & Animals

In the northern parts of the world, winters are long and cold and summers are cool. Northern lands are home to spruce, firs, and other conifers. These trees grow well in cold places.

Conifers grow close together in the northern forests. There are many ponds and lakes. Beavers, muskrats, moose, deer, and water birds live on the many plants that grow around the water. The lynx and the mountain lion are two big cats that live among the conifers.

In winter, it snows heavily in the northern forests. Many birds fly south. Squirrels and bears go to sleep. Other animals, such as elk, stay awake and active all winter. In spring, the snow melts and soaks into the ground. This gives the trees most of the water they need.

Conifers are able to live in many parts of the world. But they do best in cold, northern forest communities.

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Plants of Watery Communities

Water plants may grow partly in and partly out of the water. Freshwater plants such as cattails, bulrushes, bur reeds, and papyrus have tough roots that give them a firm grip in the mud. Saltwater plants that do this include cordgrass, sedges, and mangroves.

Water lilies and lotuses root themselves in the mud at the bottom of a pond and spread their plate-like leaves over the surface of the water. The leaves of the huge Amazonian water lily grow up to 1.8 metres across.

Other water plants, such as duckweed and frogbit, float on top of the water. Their roots hang down into the water. They do not have stems at all.

Still other water plants live completely underwater. Even plants that live underwater need air. Freshwater plants have special features that enable them to survive. These plants have air spaces in their stems. The air spaces carry air down through the stem to the roots. They also help keep the plant standing up straight in the water.

Picture Credit : Google

There are two main types of water communities – freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater communities include ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes. In summer, some ponds are so covered with plants that you can hardly see the water underneath. Saltwater communities are found along sea coasts. There, the tides rise and fall, so the plants are sometimes above water and sometimes underwater.

Plants that grow in and around watery places give food and shelter to many animals. Grebes and other water birds use these plants to make nests. Muskrats eat plants such as cattails and also use them for building houses. Frogs often fasten their eggs to water plants. When the eggs hatch, the tadpoles use the plants as food. Bass and other big fish hide among water plants. From these hiding places, they dart out to snap up careless frogs and small fish.

The grass on grassland may be short or tall, depending on how much moisture there is. Hardly any trees or bushes grow on grassland, but there are many small plants with white or coloured flowers.

In North America, grasslands with tall grasses are called prairies. In South America, they’re called pampas. Parts of North America once had prairies where the grasses grew 1.8 metres tall or even taller.

In Africa and Australia, the grassland is quite dry and the grasses are short. In Africa, there are savannas that have scattered trees and clumps of grasses. Australian grassland is covered with tough Mitchell grass and kangaroo grass. Acacia bushes grow among these grasses. In Argentina, central Asia, and Russia, grasslands called steppes also have short grasses.

Many grassland plants have special features that help them survive dry conditions. Soft hairs on their leaves and stems help them hold water. Their roots spread out far and wide so they can collect water when rain falls.

Grasses don’t need as much water as trees and bushes do. So grasses grow well in wide, open places that are too dry for most trees but not dry enough to be deserts. These places are like giant lawns. They are called grasslands.

Grasslands are special in another way. They sometimes burn up naturally – and this helps them stay healthy! The fire burns the plants to the ground. The ashes feed the new plants that replace them.

Most big animals that live on grasslands, such as zebras, eat grass. Most small animals, such as rabbits, eat plant leaves and seeds. There are also meat-eating animals, such as foxes, snakes, and in some places, lions and leopards. Many meat-eating birds, such as hawks, hunt on grasslands.

It’s hard for a hunted animal to hide in grassland. The ground is low and flat, and there are few trees or bushes. Many animals crouch near the ground. Some, such as rabbits and zebras, can save themselves by running fast or skilfully. Others dig tunnels in which to hide.

Picture Credit : Google

Plants of the Temperate Forest Community

Temperate forests have many kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants. They provide animals with shelter, food, and places to bring up their young. Broadleaf trees, such as oaks, maples, elms, lindens, beeches, and hornbeams, are the most important plants in these woodlands. Many smaller plants and shrubs grow on the forest floor. Wild flowers often cover the woodland floor in spring.