Interrelationship within the natural system: Epping forest

• Epping Forest is located east of London.
• Bogs and ponds in Epping Forest have their own unique species.
• For 1000 years Epping forest has been managed in a number of ways.
• The food web in Epping Forest is characterized by a large number of native trees such as oak, ash, and beech.
• The lower shrub layer of Epping Forest is composed of holly and hazel overlying brambles, bracken, fern, and flowering plants, indicating a high diversity of producer species.
• Many insect, mammal, and bird consumer species are supported in Epping Forest, including nine amphibian and 38 bird species.
• Studies have found over 700 species of fungi which are important decomposers in Epping Forest.
• Producers, consumers, and decomposers are all interdependent in the Epping Forest ecosystem, involved in nutrient cycling.
• Most trees in Epping Forest are deciduous, and by mid-Autumn the forest floor is covered in leaves which are broken down by decomposers by spring.
• Nutrients stored in the leaves of Epping Forest trees are converted into humus in the soil which supports new growth.
• Fruits and berries in new growth support primary consumer species in Epping Forest.
• The nutrient cycle in Epping Forest is characterized by a large biomass store due to the large trees and dense undergrowth.
• The soil store in Epping Forest is large because there is always plenty of humus.
• High flow rates between litter, soil, and biomass stores in Epping Forest reflect a vigorous cycle of growth.
• Nutrients are lost each year due to leaching during periods of heavy rainfall in Epping Forest.