Photo
Leaves often show signs of some damage by herbivores, but only rarely are most or all of the leaves on a given plant eaten. As a result, green leafy plant tissues is abundant in cove forests during...
Photo
The most effective defense against herbivores are chemicals. Leaves, stems and roots often various chemicals that deter herbivores. For example, oaks have bitter-tasting chemicals called tannins that...
Photo
Hairs, spines and thorns occur on leaves and/or stems of certain plants. These mechanical defenses may provide some protection from larger herbivores, such as deer, as well as small insects, such as...
Photo
Herbaceous plants of cove forests, such as violets, trilliums and bloodroots (as well as many others), have ant-dispersed seeds. Such seeds have a small lipid-rich food body attached to the seed. Ants...
Photo
Fruits eaten by animals are not necessarily edible for humans. Since fruits of some plants are poisonous (for humans), you should never eat fruits of wild plants unless you are absolutely certain they...
Photo
The fruits produced by oaks (acorns) are an extremely important food source for mammals, such as squirrels, deer and black bear. Because acorns are rich in carbohydrates and proteins, populations of...
Photo
On warm spring days, flowers are often actively visited by pollinators. However, in late winter and early spring, when many herbaceous plants are in flower, it is often too cold for pollinators to fly...
Photo
Trees, such as oaks and hickories, and herbaceous plants such as grasses and sedges have small inconspicuous flowers that lack nectar, odor and bright colors. Because these plants are wind-pollinated...
Video
Peachtree Rock is the edge of the old ocean, located just twenty miles west of Columbia, S.C. This area is part of the “Sandhills” part of the southeastern United States. Fall Line Sandhills- at this...