Eye Wonder

Written and edited by Deborah Lock and Lorrie Mack

Designed by Janet Allis

Publishing manager Sue LeonardManaging art editor Clare Shedden

Jacket design Chris DrewPicture researcher Jo de Gray and

Sarah Stewart-RichardsonProduction Shivani Pandey

DTP Designer Almudena DíazConsultant Samantha Sawyer

LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,

MELBOURNE, and DELHI

4-5 Forest features

6-7 Where in the world?

8-9 Tree story

10-11 Awakening forest

12-13 Life in the trees

14-15 Rich pickings

16-17 Falling leaves

18-19 Forest fungi

20-21 Winter journeys

22-23 Needles and cones

24-25 Cold killers

26-27 Frozen forest

Contents

First published in Great Britain in 2004 byDorling Kindersley Limited

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 6 5 3 1

A Penguin CompanyCopyright © 2004 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the priorwritten permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN 1-4053-0091-4

Colour reproduction by Colourscan, SingaporePrinted and bound in Italy by LEGO

See our complete catalogue at

www.dk.com

28-29 Suffocated forests

30-31 Record breakers

32-33 Under the canopy

34-35 Rainforest floor

36-37 Getting around

38-39 Up in the clouds

40-41 Dry forests

42-43 Forest fires

44-45 Survival of the forest

46-47 Glossary

48 Index and

acknowledgements

4

A large area of trees clumped together is called a forest. However, a forest is much

more than this. Step inside and you’lldiscover a wide variety of plants, with

lots of different animals livingamong them.

Forest featuresUsing water, carbon dioxidefrom the air, and sunlight,leaves produce food for the tree. This process is called photosynthesis.

Birth of a treeMost seeds are eaten,or trampled on, or fallin places where theycannot grow. Ifa seed survives,its case cracks open.Roots break through,then a stem appearsabove the ground,and finally the firstleaves unfold.

The bark protects the woodthat carries goodness betweenthe branches and the roots.

The roots spreadout sideways and downwards,soaking up waterand minerals.

A fallen tree ishome to animals,such as woodliceand millipedes,feeding on therotting wood.

Parts of a treeThe trunk of the tree supports thecrown of branches, which bear leaves,flowers, fruits, or cones. The rootsanchor the tree into the ground andsoak up goodness from the soil.

Flowers produceseeds from whichnew trees can grow.

These new leaves areshaped like those onthe fully-grown tree.

An oak mothcaterpillar eatsthe leaves of an oak tree.

A shrew looksfor insects to eat.

A barn owl huntssmall animals, suchas the shrew.

The forest communityA forest is a massive food web.Parts of living and rotting plantsare eaten by many tiny animals,which are eaten by other animalsthat are hunted by other animals.Changes can affect the balanceof the whole community.

NORTH AMERICA

SOUTH AMERICA

Almost a third of all the landon Earth is covered by trees. Indifferent parts of the world, theclimate and the altitude affectthe types of tree that can grow.There are three main types of forest – deciduous forest,coniferous forest, and rainforest.

Where in the world?

Changing seasonsIn some regions, temperature and rainfallchange dramatically through the year, so all living things have to adapt. This tree is divided into four sections that show howthe branches look in autumn, winter, spring,and summer.

Deciduous forestsTrees that shed their leaves in autumn and grow new ones in spring are known asdeciduous. It is never very hot or very coldin these deciduous, or temperate, forests.

autumn

winter spring

summer

Find your forestIn cold places, forests are usually coniferous.Rainforests grow in hot, damp climates.Areas that are sometimes warm andsometimes cool are called temperate zones. These are where temperate, or deciduous, forests are found.

Equator

Coniferous forests

Deciduous forests

Rainforests

AFRICA

EUROPE

AUSTRALIA

ASIA

7

Altitude The height a place or region is situated above the

level of the sea.

Climate The average weather of an area in terms of temperature,rain, wind, etc.

Equator An imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth where the weather is hot all year round.

Forest words

Coniferous forestsWhere conditions are cool and

harsh, trees grow hard, permanentneedles for protection instead of

leaves that fall off. They also havetough cones in place of flowers to

hold their seeds. This type of tree iscalled coniferous, or evergreen.

RainforestsUsually found in tropical regions,dense, jungly rainforests growwhere the climate is always warmand wet. Although these forests cover only seven per cent of theland in the world, more than half of all existing plant andanimal species live in them.

Coniferous forests

Deciduous forests

Rainforests Rainforests

There have been plants of some kindon Earth for 420 million years, but thefirst forests were full of tall ferns ratherthan trees. It wasn’t until about 210million years ago that forests began to look like the ones we know today.

Tree story

Historical ringsScientists learn a great deal about treesby examining the rings inside theirtrunks – each ring indicates one year of growth. A wide ring shows thatthe tree grew quickly thatyear; a narrow ringmeans a year whengrowth was slow.

The outer layer of bark is made up of dead cellsthat also hold clues tothe tree’s past life.

The oldest wood is at the centre.ofthetree.

It

is composed mainly of deadcells.

This old, hard wood

iscalledheartwood.

Disappearing forestsFor thousands of years, people havedepended on trees. At the sametime, they have destroyed vastexpanses of precious woodland.

At one time, RobinHood’s Sherwood

Forest covered over405 sq km (100,000

acres). Today, it is a 2-sq-km (500-acre) nature reserve.

Relics of the pastWhen trees live in damp earth,they are sometimes preservedpermanently by minerals in thewater. These fossils, calledpetrified trees, tell us what forestswere like millions of years ago.

8

Changing forestsAfter the era of ferny plantlife,tropical rainforests dominatedour planet, which was oncewarmer than it is now. Later,temperate and evergreenwoods spread across lands thatwere not near the Equator.

Dinosaurs roamed freely inprehistoric forests. Stegosaurus,who lived between 206 and144 million years ago, ateeasy-to-reach plant snacks,such as ferns and seed cones.

TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION

Huge areas of early forest were destroyedby the Vikings, a warlike people who livedin northern Europe hundreds of years ago.Vikings thrived because they were good atmetalwork, so they couldmake sharp axes to cut down trees.The wood was usedto build houses andships, then thecleared land wasplanted with crops.

9

Most trees and plants in the deciduousforest come to life in the spring, when the days get longer and the Sun begins to warm the earth. At this time, birds startbuilding nests and baby animals are born.

Awakening forest

In the light andwarmth of the Sun,this horse chestnutbud bursts open.

Safe homeHuddled safely in a nestmade from twigs and leaves,these bullfinch chicks arebeing fed by their father.His bright pink breastmakes him easy to identify.

New lifeEven in winter, the trees are dotted with buds. Theseare covered with hard scalesto protect the tiny newflowers, leaves, and stemsinside from the cold.

Wake-up callPrickly hedgehogs burrowunderground when the coldweather comes. They stay theresleeping until springtime, thencrawl out and start lookingaround for food.

Babe in the woodsRed deer live mostly in woodedplaces. Their young havespotted coats that blend into the speckly light filteringthrough the trees. Thiscamouflage makes it harder for predators to find them.

Flowering forestBefore the tall trees getcovered with leaves, lotsof sun can get through, sobluebells, foxgloves, andother wild flowers carpetthe forest in springtime.

A single tree in a forest can be a home, a food source, or a shelter for a variety of animals. Often hidden from view, there is a world of wildlife activity.

Insect farmersAphids feed on the sap of plants.They produce a sticky liquid calledhoneydew that ants eat. Often antscan be seen rubbing the aphids tosqueeze out the honeydew. In return,ants protect the aphids from enemies.

Life in the trees

BurrowersThe tangled web of a tree’s roots provides an ideal place for badgers to dig out theirhome, called a sett. Usually, this has a number of entranceholes and sleeping chamberswith underground tunnelslinking them together.

SearchersAfter using its pointed beakto peck through the bark, agreen woodpecker can reachinto the tree with its long,sticky tongue to lick up anyhidden insect larvae.

Tree dwellersHigh up in the trees, squirrels’ nests, called dreys, can be found hidden amongthe branches. After scurrying down to theground to find fruits and stored nuts,

squirrels return there to rest.

Ivy is an evergreenplant that uses atree as a support to climb up towardsthe sunlight.

The grey squirrel uses itsbushy tail to balance as itruns about, and twitchesit to communicate withother squirrels.

•Green woodpeckers preferants and can eat 2,000 a day.

•When badgers leave theirsetts, foxes or rabbits oftencome to live there.

•Some beetles lay their eggswithin the bark of a tree.When the larvae hatch out,they are near their food.

Forest facts

12

•Most fleshy fruits, such asberries, contain lots of seeds.Nuts are hard, dry fruits withjust one seed inside.

•Each seed has a baby plantand a supply of food enclosedinside a hard case.

•Flowers have bright petalsand strong, sweet scents toattract insects.

Forest facts

Forest plants and animals help each other. For example, some animals eat berriesand nuts, while others help to fertilize plants by taking pollen from one flower to another.Sometimes, animals carry seeds to where theyhave plenty of space, light, and food to grow.

Rich pickings

Fruity flowersOnce they’ve beenfertilized, flowers turn into fruit or nuts. These containthe seeds that willbecome new plants.

Pollen clingsto bees’ furrybodies.

Nutty nameNuthatches get their

name from the nuts theyeat. They have very strongbeaks so they can get insidetough shells easily.

Sweet nectarWhen insects land on flowers to drink the nectar, powdery pollensticks to their legs and bodies. Asthey move on, the pollen goes withthem to fertilize the next flower.

14

Buried treasureChipmunks bury acorns inthe earth, so they’ll have food for the winter. Often,they forget what they’vedone, and the acorns grow into oak trees!

Hitching a ride Some seeds are stored inside stickyburrs that get caught on animal fur.Eventually, they fall off, and some of them land on fertile ground.

Feasting for winterThis American black bear isfilling up on woodland berries.During the autumn, he needsto eat as much as he can tokeep him going through thelong, cold winter.

In the autumn, the forest floor becomeslittered with the multi-coloured leaves that have fallen off the trees. Many creepy-crawlies feed on the rotting leaves, whileother animals feast on these tiny animals.

Falling leaves

Colour changesLeaves get their colour

from green chlorophyll,which absorbs the energy insunlight. When the tree usesup all the chlorophyll, itsleaves turn yellow and red.

Hide and seekHidden amongst the thick layers of rottingleaves, the woodcock uses its long bill to poke around for tiny animals to eat. With eyes positioned high on its head, it keeps a lookout for enemies at the same time.

Sticky tongueAt night, toads waddle from theirdark shelters in search of insects,

larvae, spiders, slugs, andworms to catch on theirsticky tongues.

Insects make up70 per cent of the animals in adeciduous forest.

Snails have roughtongues to breakoff their food.

16

17

A bed for the winterDuring the autumn, the dormousefeasts on hazelnuts. As the weatherbecomes colder, it makes a nest ofleaves and grass, then curls up tosleep until spring.

Stripy foragerThe striped skunk uses its long, sharpclaws to dig into burrows and rotting woodfor all sorts of food. If threatened, it aims

a strong-smelling sprayat its enemy.

Underground tunnelsAs the mole moves quickly through itsmaze of underground tunnels, it eatsthe earthworms and other animalsthat have fallen inside.

Soil from inside the tunnels gets piled up into molehills.

Fungi play a vital role in a forest. Theyfeed on dead plants and animals turningthem into nutrients, which enrich the soil.Then, other plants soak up these nutrientsto keep healthy.

Forest fungi

Under the cap are thegills, which is wherethe spores are stored.

In the soil, there isthe main part of

the fungus – a mazeof thin threads

searching for food.

Puff, puff!To distribute its spores, thepuffball puffs them out of a holein its cap, like a cloud of smoke.The many millions of spores arethen carried away by the wind.

PartnersSome fungi, such as fly agaric,form a partnership with a treenearby. They link up with the

tree’s roots and supply itwith nutrients. The tree

gives them moistureand food.

The bright red colourwarns that this fungusis poisonous.

18

19

Deadly tasteThe mushroom capand stalk are the onlyparts of a fungus that can be seen. For people,the death cap is one of the most poisonousmushrooms in the world.

The stalk base shows theremains of a veil thatonce protected the cap.

The bracket-shapedcap of the birchpolypore becomesflatter and darker as it gets older.

The parasitesOften, a group ofbirch polyporesattacks a living birchtree, feeding on it anddraining it of its foodsupplies. Eventuallythey kill the tree andthen continue to livethere feeding on thedead wood.

As it grows, the cap is joined to the stalkbefore it opens out.

Forest words

In autumn, the mushroom, or fruit, of the fungus appears.

Nutrients These are theminerals and other usefulsubstances that plants need for growth and strength.

Parasite Something thatfeeds off another living thing.

Spores These are the tinyseeds of a fungus.

Winter journeys

Moving onHoney buzzards (see below) are

large birds that feed on the meat they get from hunting. They breed in

the forests of Britain, but when wintercomes, they fly all the way to Africa.

Coming homeBaby honey buzzards like to eat wasp larvae. There are lots of these in Britain’s forests in May, so this is the time when the adultsreturn from Africa to breed.

Spot the birdieThis spotted flycatcher is showing howit got its name. Some of its relativesspend their summers in Europe, then flyto Africa in the autumn. Others breedin North America, and travel to Centralor South America for the winter. AFRICA

ASIA

EUROPE

These babies grow up fast,

Every year, almost half of all the world’s birds travel from the forest where they

breed in the summer to a warmer climate wherethey can feed in the winter. These flights, knownas migration, are often long and dangerous, andthey use up a huge amount of energy.

Honey buzzardmigration route

21

Travel optionsBlue jays are found allacross North America as far south as Texas. Some ofthem fly south in winter, butothers stay where they are,storing food, such as nutsand acorns, to last themthrough the colder weather.

Living the high lifeOrioles spend most of their lives

high up in the trees. Once in a while, they sweep down to the ground to splash in

a lake or a pond, or to pick up nuts and insects to eat.

Migrating facts

so they’ll be able to fly south with their parents.

Spreading their wingsIn September, the honey

buzzard sets off again for Africa. These birds

are adapted to flying long distances by having big wings and a long tail.

Golden oriolesusually winter in

Africa, but this onehas left its Europeanhome to soak up the

sun in Oman, nearthe Arabian Sea.

•Arctic terns travel 35,000 km(21,000 miles) every year, fromthe Arctic to the Antarctic and back again.

•Before they set off, some smallbirds eat enough to double theirweight. This extra fat gives themenergy for their long journey.

22

Needles and cones

Giant deerThe largest member of the deer family –the moose – lives in coniferous forests. In the winter, it munches on tree

bark, and sometimes eats so much from onetree that the tree dies.

Spiky rodentThe slow-moving

porcupine can be foundnoisily chewing leaves and

branches in trees, or on theforest floor. It can raise itsmany thousands of spiky quills when threatened.

Dancing displayIn the spring, the malecapercaillies gathertogether and perform a dance to attract afemale. They make a drum-roll, gurglingsound and leap around.

Male moose have hugeantlers with up to 20points on each one.

Forests in chilly climates are full of Christmassytrees, such as pines, spruces, and firs. Instead of papery leaves that drop off in the autumn,they have hard needles that stay on all yearlong. These trees are known as evergreens.

Capercaillies are about thesize of turkeys.

23

Antlers are cove

redwi

thsm

ooth

,

furryskin

that

iskn

own

as“v

elve

t”.

•The dark green needles stay on so that they can start makingfood for the tree immediately theweather warms up.

•In dry weather, the scales on the cones open out and the seeds fall out.

•Little sunlight gets through the trees, so only small plantsgrow on the dark forest floor.

Forest facts

Hard caseLike this hardy spruce, most needle-leaf trees produce scaly cones thatprotect their seeds. This kind of tree is called a conifer.

24

Hunting for food is a challenge in the cold, darkforests. The hungry predators have to cover largeterritories to find enough to eat. They haveadopted fierce and clever techniques to track down and kill their prey.

Cold killers

Pack huntersGrey wolves work as a team to catchlarge animals, such as moose and caribou.Through scent, sound, and sight, theysearch for a weak animal. They then

split into smaller groups to surround it and,

when close enough,they all break into

a run to catch it.

•Wolves are the largestmembers of the dog family.

•A wolf pack is led by a mainmale and his mate. This pairalways eat from the prey first.

•A wolf pack eats almostevery part of a carcass as theynever know when their nextbig meal will be.

Wolf facts

25

Air attackThe long-eared owl glides and hoversalmost silently searching for smallanimals and birds to catch. It gets its name from the two tufts of featherson its head, which are not ears at all.

Agile raiderAlways hungry, the pinemarten hunts for anysmall animal on thewoodland floor, and hasthe agility to climb treesfor raiding nests andcatching tree-dwellers.Nuts and fruits are also part of its varied diet.The glutton

The ferocious wolverine is named the“glutton” due to its very large appetite.Although it’s only the size of a small dog,it chases reindeer into snowdrifts and killsthem with a bite from its powerful jaws.

26

The waxy-coatedneedles and the downwards-slanting brancheslet the snow slideoff withoutbreaking them.

Forest retreatIn the winter, caribou moveinto forested areas to findfood. They scrape the snowwith their broad hooves touncover the lichen.

During winter in the coniferous forests, the temperature can drop to below -40°C(-40°F). The ground is frozen hard and

covered with snow. With very few hoursof daylight, how do the plants and wildlife survive?

Frozen forest

Sharp-eyed With keen eyesight, thenorthern goshawk percheson branches to watch for any bird or animal to catch. Its rounded wings and long tail allow it to fly swiftly betweenthe trees. The goshawk moves fromits territory when food is scarce.

Fur coatLiving only in the

cold land of Siberia, the sable has thick

fur to keep itself warm.However, people nearly

hunted the sable toextinction for its coat.

The big sleepJust before winter, black bears eat lots offood so they put on a thick layer of bodyfat. Then they find a cave, or den, wherethey can sleep during the very cold months.During this time, when food is notavailable, they can live off their fat. ARCTIC TRAVELLERS

Reindeer is the name given to tamecaribou that are owned by peopleliving in the Arctic. The reindeer canbe ridden, or used to pull sleds. Someare eaten and their hides are used forclothing. At the end of the winter, theherds leave the forests and head northfor the summer. They can walk easily

on the snow becausetheir broad hoovesspread out, actinglike snowshoes.The people packup and travel with them.

27

Large areas of conifer forests inEurope and North America aredying. Many scientists believethis is because air pollutioncoming from thousands of milesaway is damaging the trees.

Suffocated forests

Burning fuelsFactories, power stations, and cars are all involved in the burning of petrol,oil, or coal. Whenever this happens,chemicals, such as sulphur and nitrogen, are released into the air. Clouds are then swept over long distances

Action boxWhat can we do to help?

•Use less electricity byturning off lights, computers,and other electrical applianceswhen we are not using them.

•Only fill a kettle with theamount of water we need.Boiling a full kettle uses upmore electricity.

•Use a car less by walking,cycling, sharing car trips, andusing public transport.

Acid mixInside clouds, the chemicals joinwith water vapour and turn intoacid. The clouds sweep across tothe forests. Then the acids fall inrain or snow damaging the trees.

29

Acid attackAcids damage the needles, so thetrees cannot produce enough foodto stay healthy. Pests and diseasescan now attack more easily.

Liming the lakesAnimals and plants living in the lakesand rivers are killed by the acids. By

pouring lime into the water, thelakes become less poisonous,

so that fish and plantscan survive.

to the coniferous forests by air currents.

Poisoned treesAcids also soak into the soil. Treescannot grow well in the poisonous soil and eventually die. Even if airpollution is reduced dramatically, it would take many years for the

damaged forests to recover.

3031

Plants hold the records for being theworld’s biggest and oldest living things.Ancestors from one particular specieshave lived on Earth for over 150 millionyears. How have they achieved this?

Oldest speciesThe ginkgo family of treesgrows throughout the world,and has survived for millionsof years due to its resistance

to disease and pests.

Record breakers

Drive throughThe towering redwoods thrive on the damp, rich soils of the Californiancoastal forests. The tallest one is 111.25 m (365 ft) tall, which is aboutthe size of an Apollo space rocket.

Oldest living treesOn the dry, barren slopes of the WhiteMountains of California, USA, freefrom competition by other trees, are the aged bristlecone pines. One named“Methuselah” is 4,768 years old, andwas a seedling when the Egyptianpyramids were being built.

General ShermanThe largest living thing (byvolume) is a giant sequoia treenamed “General Sherman”. It has a very, very thick trunk.Its total mass is estimated tobe ten times more than a bluewhale, and it is still growing!

32

From above, rainforests appear as a vast green canopy, such as in the Amazon.Underneath, plants are growing everywhere.These forests are an amazing, colourful, andnoisy home for a wide variety of animals.

Under the canopy

Slow and steadyMoving slowly, theunusual two-toed

sloth hangs upside-down from branches

with its hook-like claws. Its damp fur is covered by

algae and filled with insects.

Jewel of the forestLight on the wings of the bluemorpho reflect a stunning bluecolour. But, the wings’ undersideis brown with eyespots, whichmakes the butterfly hard to see when it rests.

Terror of the forestWatching eagle-eyed from a look-out branch, the harpy eagle is thebiggest and strongest bird in therainforest. Its large gripping talonscan pull a sloth out of a tree.

Thick rope-like creepers grow upwards towards the light.

Twisting aroundthe tall tree trunksand branches arefast-growing vines,called lianas.

Air plantsRooted in tree

trunks, high above the ground, bromeliadsflourish. Rainwatercollects in the centre and this provides a drinkfor many animals.

Flashes of colourIn the canopy, colourfulscarlet macaws fly around,filling the forests withscreeching calls. They are only silentwhen eating.

The pools insidethe bromeliads arehome to morethan 250 differentanimals, such asfrogs and insects.

33

Buttress rootsA tangle of far-reaching roots spread outacross the rainforest floor. The soil is thinand does not have much goodness. So, theroots grow out from the trunks to support

the tall trees and soak up much-needednutrients near the soil’s surface.

Plants with large, shiny leaves, scentedflowers, and tasty fruits, as well as deadleaves falling from the branches of treeshigh above, cover the ground in a

rainforest. It’s a busy place with muchof the action hidden from our sight.

Ant eatersA tamandua uses its sharp front

claws to open up ant nests, and then puts a long, sticky

tongue inside to lick up theants. It does not destroythe nests, so that it canreturn another time.

Rainforest floor

Night-time mealsScampering along asystem of paths, thispaca (a small rodent)sniffs out fruits and leafbuds in the dark. Pacasshelter in burrows orhollow trees duringthe day.

PollinatorFeeding at night, the fast-flying,long-tongued bat visits stronglyscented flowers. The flower’s pollen

falls onto the bat andgets passed to the nextflower the bat visits.

WORLD’S STRONGEST

Rainforests are home to over 30 million species ofinsects. Some insects, such as the rhinoceros beetle,play a very important part in recycling the nutrients inrotting wood and leaves back into the soil for use byliving plants. While humans cancarry only about three times theirbody weight, rhinoceros beetlescan carry an amazing 850 timestheir own weight. They get theirname from the horn on theirhead, which they use for fightingrivals, digging, and climbing.

Leaf cuttersBusy leaf-cutter ants cut out piecesof leaves and carry them over theirheads to their underground nests. The fungus that grows on the chewed leaves is food for the ants.

This bat has a long,narrow tongue to drink thenectar inside the flower.

Big squeezeCurled up in low branches, the world’sheaviest snake, the anaconda, rests for daysafter a large meal. It kills by wrapping itspowerful body around its prey and squeezinguntil the animal can’t breathe. Anacondas swallow their victims whole, headfirst.

36

The dense rainforests are like largeadventure playgrounds with so manyplants for climbing up, scrambling over,swinging across, or jumping from. Butthe animals are not necessarily playing.

Leaping lemursWith speed, lemurs can leapfrom trees to escape fromenemies. They hold their

bodies upright as theyjump so that their

hands and feet areready to grip thenext tree trunk.

ProwlersThe jaguar’s spotted coat breaks upits outline amongst the plants on the

forest floor. Camouflaged, itquietly prowls around searching

for animals to eat. It caneven climb low branches

to catch monkeys.

Lemurs use theirpowerful hindlegs to springfrom trees.

Getting around

Cautious climberAt night, the slow-movingpottos awake to search for food

trying to avoid being seenby predators. It placesone strong grippingfoot in front of anotheras if walking on

a tightrope.

Young orang-utansstay with theirmothers for up toten years learningfrom them.

GlidersActive at night, the colugohas a thin, furry layer of skinstretching from its fingers to its tail. It spreadsthis out as it glidesfrom tree to treein search ofplants to eat.

SwingersIn the forests of Borneoand North Sumatra,orang-utans can be foundliving in the trees. Theirvery long arms, whichspan up to 2.5 m (8 ft),are ideal for swingingfrom branch to branch.

Living togetherThe cloud forest of Malaysia

is one of the last sites in theworld where Asian elephants,rhinos, and tigers all live in thesame place. Asian elephantshave much smaller ears than

their African cousins.

Up in the cloudsMost tropical rainforests lie in low places, suchas river valleys. However, some of them growso high up on mountains that they are in themiddle of a cloud all the time. This specialdamp environment is home to lots of rare animals and plants.

Nosy parkerAt home in New Guinea’smountain forests, the long-beaked echidna is one of thefew mammals that lays eggs.The nose that gives thiscreature its name can be up to 20 cm (8 in) long.

Mountain monkeyPileated gibbons are smallapes that live in theCardamom Mountain forestsof Thailand. Bit by bit, the

trees are being cleared, so the gibbons face extinction.

38

39

Brilliant plumageGripping onto a branch

with its small feet, thisresplendent quetzal

displays its shimmeringcolours high up in thebranches of the Costa

Rican cloud forest. Onlythe male birds have

these exotic feathers.

Gorillas in the mistThe cloud forest of central Africa is oneof the few places mountain gorillasare found. Conservationistswork hard to keep theirhabitat safe and protectthem from hunters.

NATURE’S NURSERY

Many of the plants that grow in cloud forestscannot be found anywhere else. In themountain forests of Peru, for example,there are thought to be more than1,000 species of rare orchid. Onesmall area alone contains moredifferent types of plant than are foundon the whole continent of Europe.

40

Not many plants can survive thehot, dry Australian summers, but

fast-growing eucalyptus trees flourish.Among them live many marsupials –animals with pouches where theirbabies live when they are first born.

Dry forests

Sweet tooth A sugar glider has a thin layer of skinbetween its fingers andits ankles. It spreads thisout when it wants toglide to another tree insearch of sweet things to eat, such as the gumand sap from the trees.

Banded anteaterLike anteaters, numbats have a longsnout to sniff out ants’ nests, sharpfront claws to dig them out, and along, sticky tongue for licking up theants. They shelter inside hollow logs.

Peck, peck!Although long-billed corellasnest in the hollows of eucalyptustrees, they feed on the ground.Pecking with their pointed bills,they search for bulbs, seeds, andfruits to eat.

Many flowers haveno petals and onlythe stamens show.

Gripping tailsAs pygmy possums feed onthe pollen and nectar fromsweet-scented flowers, theycling on using their long,gripping tails. They are the smallest marsupials.

The sugar glider canglide 100 m (328 ft)across to another tree.

Little devilTasmanian devils are so named becausethey have a loud screech and fierce looks,and now live only in Tasmania. Theirfavourite food is dead animals.

The evergreeneucalyptus leaveshave a tough coatingthat stops water loss.

WaratahThe large, dome-shaped

flowerheads of the waratah shrubare made up of hundreds of smallflowers. The bright colours attract

birds to feed on the nectar the flower produces.

“No drink”Koala is an Aboriginal wordmeaning “no drink”. The cuddlylooking koala feeds entirely oneucalyptus leaves and gets enoughwater from them. Often it spends

80 per cent of its day asleep.

41

Raining bucketsHelicopters dip largebuckets into nearbylakes to scoop up largeamounts of water,which are thenreleased over the fire.Within minutes, thehelicopters can be backwith another load.

Fires can help forests to recycle goodness indead plants and to clear the way for newgrowth. However, if a forest fire gets out ofcontrol then it can cause lots of damage.

Forest fires

Goggles preventsparks flyinginto the eyes.

Fireproofclothing protectsthe firefightersfrom the heat.

Axes andchainsaws areused to chopdown trees.

Fighting firesOn the ground, firefighterstry to stop the fire fromspreading. They cut down trees to make a gap called a firebreak.

Cooling the fireFirefighting planes called airtankers are used topour thousands of litres of fire retardant overthe flames. The retardant is a red-dyed liquid,which slows down and cools a fire.

Fire watchSpace satellites can help firefighters byproducing infrared pictures of big blazes.On this one, which shows part of the USstate of Florida, smoke is blue, plants arered, ground is green or brown, buildingsare blue or grey, and water is jet black. Some fir trees need a fire’s heat to release their seeds.

New lifeIn amongst the burnt remains of a forest, new seedlings soon appear. They grow quickly with little competition, moresunlight, and renewedgoodness in the soil.

Lake Monroe

Florida, USA

Smoke fromforest fires

Preventing firesWhen camping, always takeextra care using fire, such as

•storing flammable liquidcontainers in a safe place,

•never taking burning sticks out of a fire,

•always checking that thecampfire is out when leaving.

44

LAST-MINUTE SAVE

Butterflies of all kinds are threatened by the destruction of their forest habitat.During the 20th century, for example,the numbers of Schaus swallowtailbutterflies in Florida, USA, fell so lowthat they nearly became extinct. To save them, a largeconservationprogramme waslaunched, and todaytheir population is growing and thriving.

All over the world, forests are being destroyed.Some trees are cut down for their wood, butoften it’s their land that is wanted for farms,buildings, or industry. In some places, though,disappearing forests are slowly being replaced.

Survival of the forestForest facts

•If we keep destroyingrainforests at this rate, theywill all be gone in 100 years.

•When trees are cleared, thesoil around them gets washedaway, leaving barren land.

Giant problemOver the last few decades,

the Chinese forest habitat ofthe giant panda has shrunkby 50 per cent. Threatenedwith extinction, this creature

has become a world symbolof conservation.

CultivationThe Brazilian

rainforest is one ofthe world’s most

famous endangeredhabitats. Here, agreat chunk of it

has been cleared toprovide commercial

farmland.

Taking careOnce new trees areplanted, trainedconservationists keepwatch to make surethey are growingnormally, and theystay free from pestsand diseases.

New for oldSome forests are designed to be replanted as soon asthey are cut down. Theseare known as sustainableforests. Here, new seedlingsare well protected so theycan grow as tall as the trees around them. Forests are very

precious – find atree to love

today!

How can I help?Paper is made from trees, so try not to waste it, andrecycle as much as youcan to help keep ourfuture forests safe.

Damage repairTo replace forests destroyed yearsago, these Sri Lankan children areplanting tree seedlings they havegrown themselves on thehills near theirvillage.

Acorn the smooth, hard fruitof the oak tree.

Algae simple plants withoutroots, stems, or leaves, whichusually grow in water.

Bark tough protective layeron the outside of a tree’s trunkand branches.

Bromeliad a type of epiphytethat has a rosette of stiffleaves at the top whererainwater collects.

Bud small bump that turnsinto a flower, a leaf, or a stem.

Burr a fruit or seed with aprickly or sticky covering.

Buttress root a root thatgrows from a stem or trunk,near the soil’s surface.

Carbon dioxide colourless gas absorbed fromthe atmosphere by plants.

Camouflage colour orpattern that blends a plant oranimal into its surroundings.

Chlorophyll the greenchemical in plants that usesthe Sun’s warmth and light.

Climate the average weatherof an area in terms of rain,wind, temperature, etc.

Cone the fruit of a coniferoustree. Cones have scales on theoutside to protect their seeds.

Coniferous having cones tohold seeds instead of flowersand fruits. Coniferous treeshave needles instead of leaves.

Conservation the process ofsaving plants and animalsfrom damage and destruction.

Deciduous having leavesthat drop off in autumn, andgrow again inspring.

Diet the food and liquid thata particular animal eats.

Drey squirrel’s nest. Dreys,which are about the size of afootball, are lined with leaves.

Epiphyte a plant that growson another plant, but does not use its food or water.

Evergreen having permanentleaves or needles.

Extinct plant or animalspecies that has died out.

Fern simple plant; one of thefirst to grow on Earth.

Fertile (soil) rich in thenutrients plants need to grow.

Firebreak strip of bare landintended to stop a fire.

GlossaryHere are the meanings of some words it is useful to know when you

are learning about trees and forests.

Flower the part of a plantresponsible for reproduction.

Fruit the part of a plant thatcontains its seeds.

Lichens low-growing plantsfound on hard surfaces likerocks, trees, and bare ground.

Migration moving from oneplace to another to find foodor warmth.

Nectar sweet liquid insideflowers that attracts insects.

Needles long, hard, needle-shaped leaves usually foundon conifer trees.

Nut hard, dry fruit with onelarge seed inside.

Nutrients “foods” that plantsand animals need to stayhealthy.

Parasite plant or animal thattakes its nutrients fromanother living thing.

Petrified (trees)preserved by mineralsdissolved in water.

Photosynthesis theway plants use water,carbon dioxide, and sunlight toproduce food.

Pollen powderproduced by flowers for use inreproduction.

Pollution harmful gases andparticles in the air.

Predator an animal that killsother animals for food.

Prey an animal hunted byother animals for food.

Rainforest dense forest thatgrows in hot, wet climates.

Root the part of a plant thatabsorbs and stores food andwater from the earth.

Seed case containing the tinybeginnings of a new plant,and enough food to help itstart growing.

Seedling young plant thathas grown from a seed.

Sett badger’sundergroundhome, orburrow.

Species group of living thingsthat have characteristics incommon, and can breed withone another.

Spore tough case containinga tiny collection of cells thatcan produce a new plant.

Sustainable (forest) designedto be replanted when it is cut.

Temperate a climate that isnever very hot or very cold.

Tropics the hot regions oneither side of the Equator.

Trunk the main stem of atree, which supports its rootsand branches.

Dorling Kindersley would like to thank:Janet Allis for original illustrations; Sarah Mills and Gemma Woodward for picture library services; Jacqueline Gooden and Laura Roberts for design assistance.

Acknowledgements

Picture credits

anaconda 35ants 12, 34, 35, 40 aphids 12Arctic tern 21

badger 13barn owl 5beetle 13, 35birch tree 19black bear 15, 27blue jay 21blue morpho butterfly 32bristlecone pine tree 30bromeliads 33bullfinch 10buttress roots 34

camouflage 11, 36capercaillie 22caribou see reindeerchipmunk 15colugo 37coniferous forests 6-7,

22-29conservation 39, 44-45

deciduous forests 6, 10-19

dormouse 17

echidna 38elephant 38eucalyptus tree 40, 41extinction 27, 38, 44

fire 42-43food web 5

fungi 18-19

giant panda 44giant sequoia tree 31gibbon 38ginkgo tree 30gorilla 39green woodpecker 13grey wolf 24

harpy eagle 32hedgehog 10honey buzzard 20-21horse chestnut tree 10

insects 5, 14, 16, 21, 32, 33, 35

ivy 13

jaguar 36

koala 41

leaf-cutter ants 35

lemur 36lianas 32long-billed corella 40long-eared owl 25long-tongued bat 35

migration 20mole 17moose 22-23

northern goshawk 27numbat 40nuthatch 14

oak moth caterpillar 5oak tree 5, 15orang-utan 37orchid 39oriole 21

paca 35petrified trees 8photosynthesis 4

Index

The publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission toreproduce their photographs:a=above; c=centre; b=below; l=left; r=right; t=top;

Alamy Images: Jim Nicholson 8cr; Alan Wheeler 41background, Ardea London Ltd:36cl; Ian Beams 17tr; Jean-Paul Ferrero 40crb, 44bl; Masahiro Iijima 27tr; JaimePlaza Van Roon 41br, Bruce Coleman Ltd: Bruce Coleman Inc 32-33; Marie Read21bl; Corbis: Chris Beddall/Papilio 17br; Niall Benvie 11; D Boone 42bl; AndrewBrown 10tl; Andrew Brown/Ecoscene 6clb; Mike Buxton/Papilio 14bc; Gary W Carter15tl; Ralph A Clevenger, W Cody 7tl, 22cla;W Perry Conway 10cl, 15bc, 27tl; D Robert & Lorri Franz 24bl; Michael and Patrica Fogden 38-39; Gaetano 45tl;Raymond Gehman 42bc; Collart Herve/Sygma 35tl; Dave G Houser 43bc; WolfgangKaehler 35br; Galen Rowell 30bc; Gary Joe McDonald 7tc, 24bc; Gunter Marx

48

pine marten 25pollution 28-29porcupine 22potto 36pygmy possum 40

rainforests 6-7, 9, 32-39, 44

red deer 11redwood tree 31reindeer 25, 26, 27resplendent quetzal 39rhino 38rhinoceros beetle 35

sable 27scarlet macaw 33Schaus swallowtail

butterfly 44shrew 5snail 16spotted flycatcher 20squirrel 12striped skunk 17sugar glider 40

tamandua 34Tasmanian devil 41tiger 38toad 16tree rings 8two-toed sloth 32

waratah 41wolverine 25woodcock 16

Photography 23cla; Massimo/Mastrorillo 28tl; Robert Y Ono 22bc; Michael Pole 4tl;J M Roberts 42cb; Sanford/Angliolo 2br; Walter Schmid 6cla; Kennan Ward 39tl;Randy Wells 46-47; Tony Wharton,/FLPA 19tr; Terry Whittaker/FLPA 35clb, DKPicture Library: 16bc; Brian Cosgrove 28-29; Natural History Museum 5crb, 6cb,14ca; Richmond Park; Alan Watson 7cr; Jerry Young 7cr, 6bl, FLPA - Images ofnature: Frans Lanting 44ca, Nature Picture Library Ltd: Martin Dohn 28bc; Hanneand Jens Eriksen 21tr; Jeff Foott 8crb; Jorma Luhta 22bl; Dietmar Nill 24-25, 35ca;Premaphotos 12bc; Jeremy Walker 8tl, N.H.P.A.: ANT 40ca; G I Bernard 45clb;Stephen Dalton 18tl; Manfred Daneggar 25cr; J Dennis 36ca; Martin Harvey 38tl;Daniel Heuclin 36bc; Robert Erwin 15tr; Pavel German 38cra; T Kitchen & V Hurst17cla, 25cl; Mike Lane 42tr; Eero Murtomaici 20bc; Dr Ivan Polunin 37tl; AndyRouse 13cla, 36-37; Jany Sauvanet 32br; Kevin Schafer 39tr; Roger Tidman 17cla;WLD 33cla, Oxford Scientific Films: ER Degginger/AA 12cla; Breck Kent 30-31;Stan Osolinski 38clb; Richard Packwood 29bc; Alan Root 34bc; Popperfoto: 43tl.Lynn Rogers: 1, 27bc; RSPB Images: Paul Doherty 21c, Science Photo Library:Earth Satellite Corporation 43tr, Still Pictures: Mark Edwards 29tr, 45tr;Klien/Hubert 41tl; Dani/Jeske 31bc; Bruno Pambour 29tl; Roland Seitre 33br; Jean-Claude Teyssier 10cr; Getty Images: Laurie Campbell 13crb; Angelo Cavalli 18-19;Daniel J Cox 26; Howie Garber 40tl; Kevin Schafer 34; Gary Randall 12-13; LoriAdamski-Peek 45br.

All other images © Dorling Kindersley For further information see: www.dkimages.com