Key facts:
● Located in East London
● Bogs and ponds in forest have their own unique species
○ eg/ 20 kinds of dragonfly
● For 1000 years, Epping Forest has been managed in a variety of ways
○ Hunting grounds for royalty
○ A timber resource
○ Recreation → it is easily accessible
Characteristics of Epping Forest’s food web:
● Biodiversity has remained naturally high → due to careful management
○ Biodiversity = measure of the variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth or within an
ecosystem
● There is a complex food web composed of 1000s of
species
○ Large number of native tree species
■ eg/ oak, elm, ash and beech
○ Lower shrub layer
■ Holly and hazel
■ Field layer of grasses
■ Brambles
■ Bracken
■ Fern
■ Flowering plants
177 species of moss
■ Diversity of producer species
○ Insect, mammal and bird consumer species , 38 bird species
○ 700 species of fungi → important decomposers
Interdependence of the ecosystem:
→ Interdependence = network of relationships between different organisms within a community → the whole
community can be affected if one of the species is removed or becomes very numerous
● Forests’ producers, consumers and decomposers are all interdependent
○ Shown by annual life cycle of trees
■ Most trees are deciduous = lose leaves in winter (average temperature is 5 degrees)
● Trees grow broad, green leaves in spring
○ Allows them to maximise photosynthesis during summer
● Trees shed leaves in autumn and conserve all energy during winter
○ Forest floor is covered with thick layer of leaves
● In spring → leaf litter has disappeared
○ Decomposers and detritivores’ work → returned all nutrients to soil
○ Ready to support new season’s plant growth
■ Nutrient cycling shows clear interdependence of plants, animals and soil
■ Humans are also responsible for interdependence
● Coppicing used to be common → cutting back trees to encourage growth
● Berries/flowers picked by visitors help spread seeds (seeds stick to their clothes)
Characteristics of nutrient cycling in Epping Forest:
● Biomass store is large due to:
○ Great height of trees
○ Dense undergrowth beneath them
■ When plants die and decay → lots of biomass = lots of nutrients
● Soil store is large → due to plenty of nutrients (humus)
● High flow rates between litter, soil and biomass stores → show vigorous cycle of new growth every year
○ Forest loses lots of nutrients each year via leaching during heavy rainfall
■ Leaching = minerals drain away from soil during heavy rainfall