The #trunk of a Norway #maple (#Acer #platanoides) in #Berlin's Goethepark. This photo illustrates the variety of #habitats a #tree provides for a wide variety of #organisms. The outer bark harbors mosses, lichens, mites, and insects; ants often nest on the ground near the trunk, while cavities formed by the trunk can provide refuge for #dark-loving micro and #macro organisms. #Ecology #biodiversityofatree

© #StefanFWirth Berlin May 2025

Photo:

Park Goethepark,Berlin, May 2025, © S.F. Wirth

The #Norwaymaple #Acer #platanoides is a native #tree of (Central) #Europe that spread northward after the last #IceAge along with mixed oak forests and is still commonly found in such #treecommunities today. Like all #trees, it offers #habitats for numerous organisms, forming complex macro#ecosystems, e.g., the #leaves, where #aphids feed, while the #ant #Formica #fusca is collecting their excretions (honeydew) as food.
#ecology #evolution
© #StefanFWirth #Berlin May 2025

#Photos
© S.F. Wirth