WINTER AT THE ECOLOGICAL PARK
Winter is a curious season. In spite of the fact that it is associated to rough days and survival difficulties to many species, this season is also marked by the abundance of water, which is one of the most important factors for the survival of the very same species.
At the hills of Monsanto the ammount of available water depends on precipitation intensity during Winter time, i.e., the ammount of water retained by the soils and kept at the aquifers.
Rough Winters, rain, cold and very short days are perfectly bearable for nature lovers since they fit into a cycle to which all species have adapted.
Besides, the plentiifulness of water relevates several features that can easily remain unnoticed during drier seasons. It is during this time of the year that we realize the importance of cork as an extraordinary habitat for inumerous species of moss, lichen and microscopical algae.
Mushrooms also emmerge quite remarkably and some species are undoubtly the basic nourishment for rabbits. Mushrooms are the visible part of the complex world of fungi. Being the frutuous mass of inumerous species of fungi, they represent a very tiny part of the organism and are responsible for reproduction of those species.
Fungi play several roles within natural environments. Being decomposers, in most cases, there are, however, many symbiotical species - associated to trees and shrubs in some kind of relationship from which both species benefit - and also some parasitical species.
All these peculiar features related to the Winter have obviously an inffluence on animals and plants refected by their behaviour and activities.
