Hitchiti

Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger grows in dense forest in the eastern part of the country. As you can see, the plant has heart shaped leaves and does not grow very tall. It can only reach a maximum height of about ten inches. It can grow so thick that you can barely see any part of the ground. They do have a flower that blooms in the spring and they stay close to the ground so they can be pollinated by ants.

Leaf Decomposition

Leaf litter is all the leaves that have fallen to the forest floor and start decomposing. They slowly are broken apart to come apart of the top most soil layer known as humus. This layer is filled with the most nutrients and can be ideal for growing other plants.

Southern Pine Beetle

The Southern Pine Beetle can have a great effect on tree growth even though it is just a small bug. Because the population can grow so rapidly outbreaks occur on occasion that vast loss of trees. They can go after any species of pine and range from Pennsylvania to Texas and then from New Mexico to Central America. The first indication that a tree is infected is a change in needle color. Then you will see small holes in the tree with sap leaking out. Once a tree is infected with the beetle, it is to late and they can move rapidly through a whole forest like they have done in Georgia.