How plants defend themselves

These woodland plants have adapted to share the light with each other and with the trees. They do this by bursting into leaf at different times of year. In the early part of the year the woodland trees do not have any leaves and large amounts of sunlight reach the woodland floor. The first plant to use this light is the snowdrop. This eventually dies back and the primrose comes into leaf. The bluebell makes its food after the primrose then the bracken fronds unfurl when the bluebell dies back.

How do plants grow quickly early in the year?
Plants that grow early in the year have large amounts of stored food. They use the energy and materials in this food to make the leaves quickly. The snowdrop and bluebell store their food in bulbs. The primrose stores its food in its roots and the bracken stores its food in an underground stem.

Can some plants survive in the wood when the trees come into leaf?
Yes. In an oak wood smaller trees like holly and yew may grow beneath the oaks. These smaller trees are evergreen and can make food all year round especially when the oaks trees are bare. Bushes such as hazel and hawthorn may grow below the trees. These shrubs are deciduous like the oaks but are adapted to make food in the dim light of the wood in summer. Other plants like bracken, brambles and moss are adapted to make food in dim light.

Can plants share the soil?
Yes. In a woodland some plants, such as the celandine, which produce flowers in early spring have roots just beneath the soil surface. Below them are the roots of bulbs such as snowdrops, and below them again are the roots of bulbs such as bluebells. Bluebell bulbs almost reach down to where the underground stem of the bracken grows. The bracken roots sprout from the stem and grow about 30cm below the soil surface. By having roots at different depths in the soil the plants do not compete for the same soil, water and minerals.

Are animals under a stone sharing the same place?
Some animals are. The damp conditions under the stone are needed by slugs, earthworms and wood lice. They may be found resting together during the day. At night, when the air becomes moist and the dew falls, they come out from under the stone to search for food.
Some animals do not share the same place. If you turn over a stone you may disturb a centipede. It will run away quickly. This animal is a carnivore and may have been hunting under the stone for prey.

Do many different birds share a woodland?
Yes. Many of the birds you may find in a garden, such as the blackbird, robin and wren are also woodland birds. They survive together because they eat different foods and nest in different places. For example the blackbird feeds on large insects, earthworms, seeds and fruits while the wren feeds on small insects and spiders. The blackbird makes a cup shaped nest of grass stems and mud in a small tree or bush while a wren makes a dome-shaped nest of moss and dead leaves in a bank or among ivy that is climbing up a tree.
In summer the number of woodland birds increases as migrant birds from the south, such as warblers and flycatchers, move in to nest and feed on the huge amount of insect life.

How many different kinds of mammals share a wood?
The number of mammals depends on the size of the wood, but in most woods shrews, hedgehogs, voles, mice, squirrels and bats may be found. If the wood is large then larger animals, such as the badger and fox, may make their homes there. In the largest woods you may be lucky enough to see a small herd of deer.
All the mammals can share the wood because they eat different foods and rest in different places. For example, the bat feeds on insects that fly between the trees at night and roosts in a hole in a tree by day, while the shrew hunts for insects and snails in the grass at any time of day or night.