A Closer Look at Nature
Look closely at the plants, animals and trees around you. The woodland is home to squirrels and chipmunks who feed on the plants, and owls and hawks who feed on the squirrels and chipmunks. Rotting wood and decaying leaf litter provide food for many invertebrates such as worms, millipedes and beetles. The large quantity of dead organic material means that a wealth of decomposing organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, also occur in the woods.
The CLC campus, like other areas of the Midwest, has lost many ash trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect. Planting a wide variety of tree and shrub species helps keep forests strong, building up their collective resistance to invasive species, harmful insects and fungi.
Take a moment to notice the ground. A healthy woodland also includes mosses, ferns, lichens, flowering herbs, grasses and sedges. CLC has been recognized by Tree Campus USA for our commitment to establish and sustain healthy community forests.
Benefits of the Woodland
At the College
The college is working to manage this woodland sustainably by preventing growth of invasive species, such as buckthorn, and cutting branches to allow more sunlight to reach the understory. We are also planting new trees throughout the campus, not only for beautification but also to provide a habitat corridor linking the many green spaces.
In the Community
Oak savannahs and woodlands once dominated the Illinois landscape, yet today very few remain. When planting trees on your property, consider the mighty oak. These trees are strong and provide habitat for many species, such as the redheaded woodpecker, whose population in Illinois has declined as its favorite trees have disappeared.
Around the World
全球气候变化不仅会影响树木的生长，还会加剧昆虫和真菌孢子的生长。黄石国家公园的森林杂草丛生，受到树皮甲虫的攻击，树皮甲虫的繁荣部分是由于气候变暖。积极管理森林，包括战略采伐和种植以促进生物多样性，确保森林不容易受到森林火灾、病虫害的影响。