Ecology of The Lost Forest

Contents

Background

The Lost Forest is one of the forests of The Wilds, situated primarily between the Candid Mountains and the Lakes of the Thawing Twins. It is visited by camps of the Nomads regularly.

Environment

Water

The yew forests of the Lost Forest have a reliable amount of precipitation, between 1,500mm and 4,000mm a year, with an average of 150 days of rain annually. There are multiple major rivers which run through it from the mountains that surround down into the ocean and the lake which bracket the area.

Sunlight

There is less sunlight here than in some parts of the Wilds, as it sits in the partial shadow of the Candid Mountains which are situated in the northeast.

Soil

The ground of the forest is well-drained. It is rich, loamy, and slightly alkaline with large patches of clay. There is a good amount of tree cover, stabilising the ground.

Temperature

Highs

25°C (77°F)

Lows

-5°C (23°F)

Wind

The forest, for the most part, is protected by the mountains from high winds, although some do come off the ocean to the south.

Elevation

The majority of the forest is between 10m and 500m above sea level. However, it does stretch up into the foothills of the mountains.

Biotic Factors

Decomposers

The primary decomposers in the Endless Forests are the mosses and fungi which grow in abundance. There are also worms and some insects which act in this capacity.

Producers

The most common producers in the Lost Forest are the yew trees which are the backbone of the forest. Their foliage is dense offering protection and a home to other producers and consumers. Their fruit and leaves are eaten by birds, insects and small mammals. Holly and hawthorn are other common producers.

Consumers

Primary Consumers

There are two main types of primary consumers which live in the Lost Forest; insects and small mammals. Insects include rune moths, spiders, flies, ants and cloy beetles. The small mammals which live here include squirrels, dormice and rabbits.

Secondary Consumers

Birds, such as the nightbird, the mizzle thrush and the red lark, live on the berries of the yew trees and the insects which live here. The weasels and foxes feed on the small mammals (and sometimes the birds if they can catch them).

Tertiary Consumers

The bloodbeak hawk and the tuuli eagle, named after the god of the wind, are the only two birds of prey which venture this far south. Aside from the Nomads, the other tertiary consumers in this area are a pack of wolves who occasionally venture out of the Forest In The Beyond.

Sapient Impact

Nomads

The Nomads put a lot of effort into ensuring that they have a minimal impact on the forest, leaving things as close to how they found them as they can. They eat much of the flora and fauna that is here, but they don't stay anywhere long enough to have a lasting impact.

Townsfolks

The Townsfolks never stray so far from their towns in the north-western corner of the Wilds to reach the Lost Forest.