Description of a Mid-Latitude Forest That Contains a Small Pond Within Its Shady Depths

Give a scientific description of a mid-latitude forest that contains a small pond within its shady depths. Research on the Internet or in books to gather information on the life forms that make up the community. Include all five categories of life: plantae, fungi, animalia, protista, and monera. Include also the following concepts in your description of your ecosystem: biodiversity; nonnative species; population fluctuations; photosynthesis; respiration; producers; decomposers.

In the mid-latitude deciduous forest there are oaks and sassafras and red bud trees. along the ground are pink bottom mushrooms and moss. There are grey squirrels, robin, cardinals, chipmunks, and red foxes. Within the small pond are algae, frogs, mosquito fish, and paramecium. around the forest and pond fly insects like mosquito, dragonflies, and bees. A non-native specie that lives in the forest is the gypsy moth, this moth eats the leaves of trees, especially oak, and can harm them. The red fox, being the only local predator, is responsible for keeping the squirrel and chipmunk populations in order, sometimes if there aren't enough foxes or there are too many foxes to feed then the squirrel and chipmunk populations will raise or fall dramatically. The producers, which are all of the plant life in the forest, gain their energy from the process of photosynthesis and is then taken by consumers when they eat the plants. The decomposers of the forest are the fungi which feed on the dead things around them. The biodiversity of this community is very important because without any of the aspects the others would be effected either by the lack of shelter, food, water, or otherwise.

Bibliography:

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/deciduous_forest.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/155095/deciduous-forest

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/Forsite/tdfbiome.htm

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