Many temperate woodlands are made up of deciduous trees such as oak, beech and birch. Most trees grow to be 20-30m in height and provide large numbers of animals with shelter, food and a safe place to rest. Shrubs, bushes and young trees also provide an abundance of food for a variety of grass eating and browsing animals, including deer. At ground level, plants such as ferns, mosses, wild garlic, bluebells, foxgloves and a variety of fungi, such as mushrooms and toadstools, grow in certain seasons. The spectacular spring carpet of bluebells and wild garlic appears before the trees are in full leaf, when the sunlight still reaches the floor.
Temperate woodlands provide homes for many animal species.
Some live underground, some on the forest floor and some in the shrubs and trees above. All these places provide shelter, food and in most cases, protection from predators. Some of these animals feed on dead matter such as leaves, trees and other plants and animals. Some living things, such as bacteria, are so small that you can't actually see them without using a microscope. These are known as 'decomposers' and they help break down dead and decaying materials which enrich the soil.