Now that we've explored different habitats and observed the plants and animals living there, let's think about how they depend on each other to survive. 

This plant is more than just a tree. It is a home for many for many living things.

A forest! Welcome to the Wisconsin Woodlands where many forest creatures dwell. 

is a community of plants, animals. and other living and nonliving things that live and work together in an area as a system. They help each other to live and grow.

Who else do you think is part of this ecosystem? What is 

Let's go on an adventure through the Wisconsin Woodlands and see this system at work.

Plants, like trees, use sunlight to make their food. They take in air and water from the environment and use sunlight to turn them into food. This process helps plants grow big and strong.

Look at this picture of a Wisconsin prairie! It's filled with grasses and wildflowers. How do these plants get what they need to grow? 

Animals, like deer and rabbits, eat plants for food. Then, other animals, like foxes and owls, eat those plant-eating animals. This is how food moves from plants to animals in the ecosystem.

Animals also interact with each other in different ways. 

When plants and animals die, decomposers, like worms, fungi, and bacteria, break them down into tiny pieces. This helps make soil healthy for new plants to grow. It's like nature's recycling team!

Let's look at a picture of the forest floor. Is soil the only thing you see on it? How might rocks help the soil and the plants that grow on it?

Everything in nature is connected in a big circle. Plants make food, animals eat the food, and when plants and animals die, decomposers turn them into soil. This circle keeps going, making sure everyone in the ecosystem has what they need to live and grow.

Take a look at the next activity to put what you learned into action!

Standards for What are the ways in which living things work together?