How does wildlife colonise barren land?

To the left is a rich and vibrant unofficial nature reserve that contains a wide range of animals from Butterflies, beetles, mice, dragonflies, foxes and moths, as well as plants such as ragwort, buddliea, cow parsley and daisies. However not too long ago, this area of land contained nothing more than rubble from the previous demolition of a building. And yet, it has somehow developed into this  wildlife rich haven. But how exactly does the incredible colonisation of barren land occur?

Before rough terrain can be hospitable to the majority of animal life (apart from lizards and other reptiles and small mammals that can use the nooks and crannies of rock piles to hide from predators), plants must first colonise the land.  The seeds of plants can be transported to these terrains mainly through the wind, or by animals that have either carried them in their fur or that have eaten them; depositing the seeds in their droppings. However the first plant colonisers of rough terrain like this one will mainly consist of grasses, mosses, wildflowers such as Ragwort (left), nettles and other weeds etc as they have evolved to absorb nutrients out of mostly nutrient deficient environments. Due to the force of the weather, other plants that require more hospitable environments with higher levels of nutrient content can also survive, as strong wind and rain can cause rocks to erode, leading to the formation of soils that contain the nutrients formally trapped in the rock. The leaves of the first plant colonisers can also improve the soil, as any leaves that fall will decompose, releasing their nutrients into it.

Once a range of plant life has established itself on an area of land, insect life such as bee's, hover-flies, beetles etc can feed on the nectar and pollen that these plants produce, as well as on the leaves during their larval stages. These insects will help the plants to reproduce by transporting pollen, creating more plant life for the site in the future. Small insects such as springtails, ants and mites, as well as crustaceans such as woodlice and millipedes can also improve the health of the environment by breaking apart decaying plant life, allowing it to be released back into the environment.

Due to the now growing population of insects, birds and insectivorous mammals and reptiles will become attracted to the area as it contains the small creatures they feed on. Small organisms are also prey animals for birds of prey such as sparrow hawks and falcons, as well as larger mammals such as foxes which will also become attracted to the site.

On building sites like the one pictured, the land itself can be very rough and uneven. This is good news for aquatic life as when it rains, pools of water are likely to form. Small pools of water can attract marine insects such as mosquitos and dragonflies that produce aquatic offspring. They can also attract amphibians such as newts and frogs.



So the next time you walk past a building site, or an abandoned area of land, do not refer to it as a waste land. To the natural world, there is no such thing.

-Thomas Glen

facebook.com/goodnaturepage

Photos: Thomas Glen