A tangle of grasses and shrubs carpet the woodland floor, with dappled light filtering through the branches above. Studying a woodland means looking closely high and low, and using every sense to explore.
“Woodland” includes several different plant communities. Local examples include mixed-evergreen forest and oak woodlands. They are multi-layered habitats distinguished by a mix of trees, shrubs, annual grasses and flowers that grow to different heights, providing food and shelter for many animals.
Wide and flat, with plants that slow the flow of water that settles down into thick mud, wetlands connect land and water. Wetlands filter the water that flows through them, prevent flooding and erosion, and recharge aquifers. They are crucial habitats that support biodiversity and benefit human communities, but many wetlands have been drained for agriculture and urban development.
