falling leaves
Whatever the season, the marvels of nature are all around us. Leaves from our woodland trees tumble and fall to the woodland floor. Consumers such as slugs and snails break down this vegetable matter into much smaller pieces. Worms then take these fragments down to the next layer carried along on their bristles called Setea. Smaller creatures such as springtails and white worms then break this material down even further into a fertile loam. The micro organisms then complete this cycle. A friendly fungus called Mycorrhizal Fungi develops, which in turn feeds all woodland plants. This process provides a rich root environment which enables seed germination to take place and propagation of all woodland plants.
From the woodland floor a myriad of insect life develops, these are known as keystone species, one of which is the non biting midge. On a summer’s evening you may have seen a large group of midges circling in an anticlockwise direction beneath the trees. The group is made up of males displaying to attract a female, also looking for a potential mate. She will select only one of them. He now leaves the group to join his new bride and they will eventually mate. If conditions are not right she will hold his seed of life until conditions are favourable.
Midges have a very important role to play in the fertilisation of one of one of our most beautiful woodland plants. The wild Arum which grows in amongst the wayside hedge is also home to a host of creatures and of many other interesting native plants.
The wild Arum has a modified leaf which has backward facing hairs at its base. Deep within the spathe there lays an attractive purple coloured club which attracts as many as two hundred midges to her den, giving off an attractive fragrance to the midge, they are now trapped inside. After they have been trapped inside for 24 hours she sprinkles her pollen onto the unaware captives, they gorge themselves and become completely intoxicated by this bounty. The Arum then releases the backward facing hairs and the spathe now collapses, releasing the captives.
After a short while the midges come round but have already forgotten their ordeal only to seek out another Arum to start the whole process once again, unaware they have now cross pollinated the next wild Arum. In time a cluster of beautiful bright orange berries will be formed, these are known as Lords and Ladies because of the black beauty spot on each berry. Gleaming in the hedgerows, these berries will attract all members of the thrush family who will feast on the bounty spreading the seeds in their droppings to colonize this beautiful plant.
Swallows and Swifts feast on an abundance of midges thanks to the lifecycle of this amazing plant and the wonderful woodland floor.
All of these wonders from falling leaves.
