Explore the science of the forest floor. Click below to begin your hike into the world of decomposers and forest symbiosis.Â
Click to watch the video below and be prepared to answer the questions that follow. After thinking about the question, click the down arrow to see the answer.
Development Spotlight:
Field Capture: Original Cinematography - Utilized macro-photography and 4K field footage to provide authentic visual evidence of forest floor decomposers.
Video Post-Production: Camtasia - Applied precise labeling and timed callouts to identify specific species (Turkey Tail, Sporophytes) during the narrative.
Audio Engineering: Clipchamp - Used for rapid audio sequencing and background leveling to ensure narrative clarity against outdoor ambient sound.
Instructional Strategy: Active Retrieval - Integrated collapsible Q&A sections to encourage immediate knowledge application and feedback loops.
Check Your Understanding: The Science of Decay
A variety of lichen
A variety of fungus
Correct Answer: 2 - While Trametes versicolor often grows near algae, it is a fungal variety and a primary decomposer. Lichen is a separate symbiotic relationship!
They are flowers used to attract pollinators.
They are symbiotic fungi that feed the moss.
They are reproductive structures that release spores.
Correct Answer: 3 - They are reproductive structures that release spores. While they are often nicknamed "seed heads," mosses are non-flowering plants. These sporophytes are essential for the moss to spread and grow in new areas of the forest floor.
Decomposition happens most efficiently in high-moisture "micro-climates."
Fungi and moss require running water to survive the winter.
The stones provide the only source of food for the lichen.
Correct Answer: 1 - Decomposition happens most efficiently in high-moisture "micro-climates."