The usable nutrition contained in these foods is incredible. Birds and mammals search diligently to find these nuts and berries. Openings in woodlands also provide grazing animals, rodents, and birds with nutritious grasses. Open woodlands offer a home to many diverse species of plants and animals, from large grazers down to small seed-gatherers. Though the woodlands are seasonally dry, there is usually enough water from rain for spadefoot toads to emerge from their burrows to breed and lay their eggs.
More soil moisture is available than in the lower habitats.
Still the upper layers of soil dry out quickly, which makes it difficult for plants to reproduce by distributing their seeds. So animals in these woodlands help carry the seeds from place to place to aid in plant reproduction. As in all other habitats, the relationships between the various species living there helps to keep the entire ecosystem alive.