Up In The Air

Written by Zoë Armstrong Illustrated by Sara ugolotti

CONTENTS What can you see? 4 Through the day 6 Written by Zoë Armstrong What is air? 8 Illustrated by Sara Ugolotti Up, up, and away 10 Flying insects 12 Editor Kat Teece Bees 14 Designer Sonny Flynn Changing shape 16 Jacket Designer Elle Ward US Editor Jane Perlmutter Butterflies and moths 18 US Senior Editor Shannon Beatty Taking flight 20 Managing Editor Jonathan Melmoth Managing Art Editor Diane Peyton Jones Traveling birds 22 Picture Researcher Sakshi Saluja Birdsong 24 Production Controller Barbara Ossowska Production Editor Abi Maxwell Homes up high 26 Senior DTP Designer Jagtar Singh Tall tree trunk 28 Creative Director Helen Senior Treetop animals 30 Publishing Director Sarah Larter The seasons 32 Consultants Dr. Ryan Neely III and Steve Setford Traveling seeds 34 First American Edition, 2021 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 Copyright © 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC

36 Fruit 21 22 23 24 25 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 37 Nuts 001–321270–Jun/2021 38 Trees around the world 40 Rainforest canopy All rights reserved. 42 Cloud watching Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved 44 Rainbows above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in 46 Cliff face or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any 48 Wall climbers form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, 50 On the rooftops recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission 52 Nocturnal animals 54 Bats of the copyright owner. 56 Moon phases Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited 58 Constellations 60 Glossary A catalog record for this book 62 Index is available from the Library of Congress. 64 Acknowledgments ISBN 978-0-7440-3324-3 DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 1450 Broadway, Suite 801, New York, NY 10018 [email protected] Printed and bound in China For the curious www.dk.com

Flitting across the sky WYHOAUT SCEEA?N With a flash of blue feathers, Up in the air, nature floats and flutters a jay flits between the trees. Jays can and drifts and dazzles. There are mimic the sounds of other animals – sounds and colors and all kinds of even humans! Discover more brilliant creatures. What do you see up there? birds on pages 20–27. Fluttering past Bird calls fill the air. A comma butterfly searches for stinging nettles on which to lay her eggs. Turn to pages 16–19 for more butterflies. le Honeysuck Flowers release perfume into Nesting in trees the breeze. This cup-shaped nest belongs to a song thrush. Look at nests big, small, and strangely shaped on pages 26–27. 4

Starlings Changing colors Clouds and birds The sky changes color as make shapes in light is filtered through the sky. Earth’s atmosphere. Learn more about the shades of the sky on pages 6–7. Catching prey oxF Static electricity makes this spider’s web spring toward passing prey, like hair sticking to a rubbed balloon. Find the orb-weaver spider on page 53. 5

THROUGH THE DAY The horizon is the point The sun rises over the horizon. It brings light and at which the warmth, and gives energy to plants so they can land or sea make their food. A new day has begun. appears to meet the sky. Animals that are active during the day but rest at night are called diurnal. Most birds are diurnal. Sunrise Sun path Sunlight is made of many colors. As the Earth rotates each The sky can look yellow or pink at day, the sun seems to follow sunrise and sunset because some an arc-shaped path across colors of light are scattered by the the sky. The path changes air and other floating particles through the year, as before they reach your eye. the Earth orbits (moves Poppies around) the sun. Poppies open their petals with the morning light. Poppies are heliotropic— they track the path of the sun from east to west. 6

Sun compass Many animals use the sun like a compass to find their way. Birds, butterflies, bees, reptiles, and ants use the sun’s position in the sky as part of their navigation systems. Summer Animals that are Spring or fall active at dawn and dusk are called Winter crepuscular. Sunflowers Evening flowers Young sunflowers are As the sun sets, jasmine heliotropic, like poppies. But flowers release a sweet smell. the mature flowers point east Some flowers are more fragrant throughout the day. at night to lure nocturnal insects. The insects spread pollen, which allows the plants to make seeds. 7

WHAT IS AIR? Air is all around us, but we don’t see it. It fills our lungs, though we don’t always feel it. Air supports life in plants and animals. But what exactly is it? Stratosphere Dry gases in air 78% Nitrogen 21% Oxygen The atmosphere 0.9% Argon 0.03% Carbon We often use the word “air” to talk dioxide about Earth’s atmosphere. This is a 0.07% Other gases protective layer of gases. It holds onto Dry and wet heat, so we don’t get too cold. Air is mostly a mixture of gases. Nitrogen and oxygen make up 99 percent of the dry gases in the atmosphere. Air also contains up to 5 percent water vapor, which is water in the form of a wet gas. A layer of ozone gas protects us from the sun’s harmful rays.

Troposphere Air contains tiny particles, such as pollen Earth’s atmosphere has five and sea salt, called different layers rising up into aerosols. Some aerosols outer space. The layer we live in can harm our health. is called the troposphere—this is where most of the air is! Pollution Breathing in Many power stations and vehicles are powered by burning fossil fuels. This You breathe in air because your releases extra carbon dioxide and other body needs oxygen to keep gases into the air, which are types of pollution that cause the Earth to heat up. working. You breathe out to get rid of carbon dioxide. Plants do this How air moves too, but they also use carbon dioxide to make food. Warm air rises and colder air sinks. When a pocket of warm air rises, it When plants make their food, leaves behind an area of low pressure. they take in carbon dioxide from This is like a space that colder air the air and release oxygen. rushes into, as wind. 9

UP, UP, AND AWAY The air is a thriving ecosystem, teeming with life. In addition to birds and bats, there are millions of tiny insects and organisms swirling high above our heads. Microbes Bacteria, viruses, and fungal spores can be carried thousands of feet up into Earth’s atmosphere. Some even float across continents. Damselflies Some species of damselfly fly high into the air to be swept away by strong winds. Rambur’s forktail damselflies have been found on oil rigs miles out at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. Thermals The sun doesn’t heat the Earth evenly— sunny places get hotter than shady areas. This creates columns of rising warm air, called thermals, that whisk tiny life-forms up into the atmosphere. 10

Aeroplankton Aeroplankton are tiny life forms that float through the air, drifting and swirling with the breeze. They are the air’s equivalent of the plankton that float through the oceans. Aphids Aphids often migrate hundreds of miles on the breeze. Young winged aphids can fly around 2,000 ft (600 m) into the air to be whisked away by the wind. Ballooning In addition to riding the wind, the Many spiders float over long ballooning spiders distances. The spider points its are carried by Earth’s abdomen up, then casts out long electric field. strands of silk, which catch the breeze and carry the spider away. Bumblebees These have been found more than 18,000 ft (5,500 m) above sea level—on the slopes of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. 11

Flies Flies are an important part of the food chain, Most flying insects have two pairs of providing nourishment wings. But, instead of back wings, flies for many animals, such have tiny, club-shaped balancing organs, as birds. for super-aerobatic flight! The eyes of a dragonfly wrap around its head. They can spot prey from nearly every angle. Dragonflies Shimmering dragonflies dart over lakes and rivers. The largest living dragonfly has a wingspan of up to 6.7 in (17 cm), but prehistoric dragonflies had wingspans just over four times this size! One of the biggest flying insects is the Hercules beetle, which can grow to around 6.7in (17cm) long. Beetles The wings of a beetle are folded up beneath shiny, protective wing cases, called elytra. Some male beetles have body parts that look like pincers or horns, which they use for fighting. 12

FLYING INSECTS Winged insects may buzz, swarm, or hover in the air. They eat pests, pollinate plants, and provide food for birds and other creatures. Locusts These grasshoppers sometimes form swarms as wide as a city. Swarms can fly for hundreds of miles, wreaking havoc as the locusts eat their way through food crops. Mosquitoes Mosquitoes feed on nectar, but females of some types of mosquito also need animal blood to make their eggs. These mosquitoes can spread diseases when they bite. Colorful wing cases warn predators that ladybugs Ladybtaus8tge5svteifrmlyaebpitstteehr.veeirrywsiencgosnadb. out 13

BEES This reserve of honey will nourish the colony The sound of buzzing coming from over the winter. a tree might suggest a beehive! There are about 20,000 known species of bees in the world, but only a few species make honey. Honeybees transport pellets of pollen on their back legs, like saddlebags. They carry nectar inside their bodies. Gathering food Bees fly from flower to flower, sucking up a sweet juice called nectar and gathering pollen to eat. Many plants rely on bees to spread their pollen in order to reproduce. Making honey Back at the hive, honeybees mix the nectar with a chemical called an enzyme, which is made inside their bodies. The bees pass the mixture from mouth to mouth and slowly it turns to honey. 14

Nests In the wild, honeybees mostly nest in trees. Some bees are kept by humans for honey. They make their nests inside hives built by people. Honeycomb Storing honey Bees evaporate water from the honey by fanning it with their wings so that it thickens. The honey is then stored in wax honeycomb Honey inside cells cells, sealed with wax lids. Worker bees forage for Drones mate with the queen to food, clean the nest, make fertilized eggs, which and make the honey. turn into workers. Unfertilized eggs become drones. The queen bee produces eggs, Larvae Bees big and small which hatch into larvae. Australia’s Quasihesma bee is A honeybee colony less than half the length of a grain of rice. The Megachile Wild hives are usually home to around 20,000 honeybees. The pluto bee of Indonesia is as long bees live together in a colony, as an adult human’s thumb! with one queen, thousands of female worker bees, and several Quasihesma bee hundred male drones. Megachile pluto bee Not all bee species are yellow and black. The brown-winged, striped sweat bee of North America is a shimmering green. 15

CHANGING SHAPE A caterpillar transforms into a winged butterfly or moth, in a process called metamorphosis. Crawling, hanging, or fluttering—look out for every stage… Caterpillar A tiny caterpillar hatches. It eats its eggshell, then it begins to eat the leaves. As it grows, it sheds its skin up to five times—this is called molting. Monarch butterfly Egg Each year, millions of monarch A female butterfly or moth butterflies make amazing migrations lays an egg on a leaf. She in the fall. They fly thousands of chooses a plant her caterpillar miles south, from Canada and northern US, to Mexico. will like to eat. Monarch butterflies Some species only feed on the lay eggs singly, milkweed plant. while others lay many at a time. 16

Pupa At the final molt, a hard casing forms around its body, and the caterpillar becomes a pupa. A butterfly’s casing is called a chrysalis. A moth caterpillar spins a cocoon of silk around itself, instead. Inside, the Adult pupa is forming wings, legs, After a while, the chrysalis or cocoon and antennae. breaks open and a butterfly or moth emerges. At first its wings are wet and crinkled, but soon the new insect is ready to fly. Butterflies fly during the day. Moths normally (but not always) fly at night. Butterflies and moths are important pollinators. 17

Chalkhill blue butterfly This butterfly flits over chalky grasslands in Europe. The caterpillars make a sugary substance that ants like to eat. In return, the ants protect the caterpillars and chrysalises. Peacock butterfly The peacock butterfly of Europe and Asia has eyelike markings. The false eyes trick predators into thinking they are facing a much larger animal. Madagascan sunset moth This moth is unusual because it flies during the day. It is often mistaken for a butterfly because of its beautiful colors, which warn predators that it is toxic (poisonous) to eat. Black-and-white coloring The pattern is often slightly says to predators “Stay different on each wing. away, I’m not good to eat.” Zebra longwing butterfly In South and Central America, the caterpillars of this butterfly feast on passion-flower leaves, which are toxic to other animals. The leaves make the caterpillars and butterflies poisonous to predators! 18

Elephant hawk-moth Pink and olive-gold elephant hawk-moths are common in Europe. They sip nectar from honeysuckle and other sweet-smelling flowers at night. Lunar moth The “tails” of a lunar moth’s wings twirl as it flies. This confuses hunting bats, which often strike at the tails instead of the body, and the moth can escape with its life! The markings at the wing tips Atlas moth look like snake heads, which may confuse or scare off predators. With a wingspan of up to 10.6 in (27 cm), the Asian atlas moth is one of the largest Silk moth insects on Earth. It does all its eating as a caterpillar, because the adult moth The caterpillars of the silk moth are has no mouthparts! known as silkworms. To make cocoons, they spin thread called silk. Humans collect the BAUNTDTEMROFTLIHESS thread and weave it into smooth silk fabric. Some butterflies and moths are dully colored and small to hide from sight. But others have bright colors and patterns to attract mates, fool predators, or to tell other animals that they are poisonous. 19

Forces of flight TAKING FLIGHT A force is a push or a pull on an Birds fly to find food and places to raise their object. There are four forces that young. They can escape predators as they act on a bird when it flies... flap and glide and soar across the sky. There are many ways to fly… Weight, as the force of gravity pulls the Thrust, as the bird is bird downward. pushed forward by flapping its wings. Drag, as the bird is held back by resistance Lift, as the difference from the air. in air pressure above and below the flapping A bird has a curved, streamlined wings pulls the shape. This reduces drag, as the bird upward. air slips past. Adapted for flight Birds have special features to help them overcome gravity and move through the air. These include smooth, lightweight feathers, powerful wings, and hollow bones. Getting airborne There’s safety in numbers. Flying as Many birds launch themselves a flock helps guard into the air by leaping from against predators—with more eyes to look out the ground or off a high perch. for danger. Some large birds, such as flamingos, need a takeoff run to get into the sky. 20

Bounding Murmurations After short bursts of flapping, many Great swirling, swooping, shifting shapes small birds fold away their wings, are formed in the sky when thousands of and sail through the air. As they start starlings fly together in a murmuration. to descend, they put on another burst of flapping. This “bounding” flight These aerial displays happen at sunset in winter. saves energy and reduces drag. Hovering The hummingbird gets its name from the sound Some birds hover in a single spot made by its wings. by beating their wings very fast. Hummingbirds are the fastest flappers—ninety times a second is not unusual! Gliding and soaring Birds can save energy by stretching their wings out and gliding through the air without flapping. Gliding on a rising current of air is known as soaring. 21

Navigation Swallows that breed in Britain during the summer Birds find their way using the fly to southern Africa position of the sun and the stars, for the winter. the Earth’s magnetic field, and landmarks, such as mountains. Smells offer clues too! Tundra swans Why migrate? Pelicans, geese, and Migration is all about tundra swans migrate in survival. Birds make these a V shape. This helps treacherous voyages so that them move through the air they have food and warmth more easily. Tundra swans fly between the Arctic and the US’s during the winter, and East and West coasts. suitable nesting spots in BTRIRADVSELING the summer. Each year, many birds make epic Alpine swifts journeys through the sky. They fly across continents and back again Alpine swifts can spend with the changing seasons. This six months in the air is called migration. without landing. They drink raindrops, eat 22 flying insects, and sleep while airborne as they soar between Europe and Africa.

Preparing for takeoff Birds prepare for migration weeks before they set off. Eating extra food helps build up energy for the flight. Some birds grow new flight feathers, too. Geese keep in Bar-headed geese Bar-tailed touch with the godwits rest of their flock The world’s highest migrations by honking as are made by bar-headed geese. Bar-tailed godwits they fly. make the longest They fly over the Himalayas nonstop migrations. at altitudes (heights) of up to They can fly more 4.3 miles (7 km), flapping nonstop than a quarter of the way around the for as long as 17 hours! world—from New Zealand to Alaska— in just eleven days. 23

BIRDSONG ble warWar Nightingale ble Songbirds fill the air with music. The nightingale has a They sing to attract a mate and powerful voice. Its song defend their territories. Their whistles, warbles, and complex voice boxes allow them to make extraordinary sounds… bubbles at night, and also during the day. Veer veer veer wWhhiissttllee whw isthliestrleVeery Blackbird This shy little songbird sings Blackbirds sing a sweet melody its heart out in the woods late into the evening. These are and forests of North and among the most common South America. It has a songbirds in the UK. spiraling, flutelike song. world’sMboirrde sthpaencihesalafroef the songbirds. American robin The cheerful song of the American robin bounces merrily along. These are often the first songbirds to be heard at dawn. 24

The dawn chorus This good-morning group song begins with the first glimmer of sunlight. It grows from a few calls to a cacophony of singing and squawking. A bird singing at dawn Wood lark Wood larks sing their lilting, sorrowful song as they make circles in the sky Chinese thrush across Europe, Lu-lu-lu The Chinese thrush sings its Whistle western Asia, lovely repeating melody, wwhihsitsltele loud and clear, around and North forests in China and north Vietnam. Africa. House sparrow Pallas’s leaf warbler Chirrup The simple, chirping song of Pallas’s leaf warblers sing powerful the noisy little house medleys of whistles and warbles from chirrup sparrow can be heard the tops of tall trees in China, all year round in Tirrtiitr-rt eastern Siberia, and Mongolia. many parts of the world. 25

These little Ruby-throated hummingbird nests are found in eastern Female ruby-throated hummingbirds build North America. cup-shaped nests with spider silk, thistledown, and dandelion fluff. They disguise the nest with lichen and moss. HOMES UP HIGHa treeNttohepMesytnalietnnasygkt ebibsiceraadtwrsseaeboefuefnitlsbdhhreeiaTinlrhntteerecringhceageastwsstsecaoaahrynnoddbfmeraconehmgsi,clpikwnrsegh.deiarnetothres.air, more than 20ft (6m) wide! Sociable weaver Building a nest 1. Materials are gathered. Dry grass, twigs, and leaves In southern Africa, sociable weavers Many birds build their nests over build huge nests, where up to a several days, to prepare for laying are used by many birds to hundred families live. They eggs. They use their beaks to transport weave basket-shaped nests. use grass, twigs, plant fluff, and fur. material and form the structure. 26

Rufous The nests Hornero look like clay ovens. In South America, Rufous Nests are often built over water Horneros use mud to so predators can’t reach. make nests in trees. 27 These nests can also be spotted at the top of make floating nests. telephone poles. Baya weaver Some waterbirds These nests dangle like baubles from trees across India and Southeast Asia. The male baya weavers carefully craft the nests from grasses, and long strands of leaf and palm frond. 2. Mud or clay can be 3. The nest may be lined with used to help bind the downy feathers, moss, or nest together to make dandelion fluff, so it’s soft and cosy. it more solid.

TTARULNLKTREE A trunk is the stem of a tree. It reaches up into the air, growing wider and stronger as the tree gets taller. Its nooks and crannies are full of life. Ditfefexrteurnetstarnedeschoalovres different Home in a hole of bark. This deer mouse has The tree’s skin made a nest in a tree hollow. Deer mice happily Bark is like a skin. It stops theSilver birc scramble up trees to tree from drying out. It also reach food, such as protects the trunk from extreme insects and fungi. temperatures, animals, and diseases. Some birds use pieces of lichen as h part of their nests. Growing lichen Silvers and yellows, oranges and greens, lichens grow in patterns on the bark. They are formed of fungi and algae, working as a team.

Seeping sap Sap is a sugary fluid that carries nourishment around the tree. If a tree is damaged, sap can bleed out until the wound has healed. Strange fungus Branches can break in Tree rings strong winds or under If it has to be cut down, a tree’s heavy snow, or from age can be discovered by growing too heavy. counting the rings of growth Jelly-ear fungus grows on dying inside its trunk. There is one branches of trees. It is rubbery, ring for each year of its life. gelatinous (jellylike), and id shaped like human ears! Woolly aph 29 Ants and aphids Wood ants eat honeydew—a sweet liquid made by aphids. The ants protect the small insects in return for honeydew.

TARNEIEMTAOPLS Great spotted woodpecker Rustling through leaves, tapping on bark, or taking This shy bird hammers a treetop nap, some animals its beak on hollow spend most of their lives up in branches to mark its the branches. We call creatures that live in trees “arboreal.” territory—about 20 times a second! The drumming Koala sound echoes around The koala lives a solitary life, forests in Europe, Asia, mostly munching leaves in and North Africa. Australia’s eucalyptus forests. Koalas are marsupials—their The great spotted babies are carried in a snug woodpecker nests pouch for the first six months in a hole that it carves out of the of their life. tree with its It takes a lot of strong beak. energy to digest eucalyptus, so a The woodpecker picks koala spends about insects off bark, and 20 hours a day drills into the wood to sleeping in its tree. pull out grubs with its sticky tongue. 30

Young pine martens start To scamper down to explore outside their a trunk headfirst, den at about six-weeks old. a squirrel can rotate its ankles so its paws are European pine marten pointing backward, to grip the bark better. These mammals make dens in natural tree nooks, or holes made Squirrels by other creatures. Sometimes they take over the nests Squirrel species are found of squirrels or birds. leaping through trees on They leap between every continent, apart from branches, chasing Australia and Antarctica. their prey. A squirrel’s nest is called a drey. It is made from twigs, Claws help the pine leaves, bark, and grass. marten grip the bark as it climbs. Its claws are Squirrels eat berries, tucked away for running nuts, fungi, seeds, and on the ground. even birds’ eggs. Pine martens are 31 hunters. They eat birds, insects, and small mammals, such as voles and squirrels. Bank vole

THE SEASONS A wood pigeon tucks into A deciduous tree transforms with the seasons. Colors young leaves. change and leaves are blown from branches, then new buds sprout and grow. A lot can happen in a year in the life of a tree. Spring Branches are dotted with buds, ready to unfurl new leaves. Blossoms attract insects to help with pollination, so the trees can make their seeds. Bees and other insects buzz from bloom to bloom, carrying pollen as they go. Most growth stops during Bare branches help the winter, to save energy. tree conserve water, which would otherwise escape as water vapor from leaves. Winter Chaffinches come from colder Nordic countries to The tree has entered a dormant spend winter in the UK, phase, which is a bit like doubling the usual population. sleeping. Its leaves have fallen and sugar has moved down to be stored in its roots until spring. 32

Summer Photosynthesis The tree is now covered in Leaves use water drawn up leaves and teeming with life. through the roots, carbon dioxide from the air, and sunlight to make It has fruit swelling and sugar to feed the tree. Oxygen is ripening on its branches. also made in this process. Trees grow quickly Leaves are packed with in both spring green chlorophyll, a and summer. substance that absorbs energy from the sun. With less sunlight, leaves stop Gusts of wind leave branches making food and change color nearly bare as the tree as chlorophyll disappears. sheds its leaves. Squirrels store nuts and fungi Fall to eat during the colder months, when food is harder Leaves turn brilliant shades of to find. red and gold. Fruit falls and seeds begin to scatter, caught by the wind or carried off by birds and other animals. 33

TRAVELING SEEDS Helicopter seeds Floating, gliding, and spinning through the air, Sycamore seeds have seeds scattered by breezes find new places to delicate wings attached. grow. With luck they will land on fertile ground. These allow them to spin away from their parent tree, Dispersal like tiny helicopters twirling For survival, seeds must spread out, in the breeze. away from their parent plant, so they don’t have to compete for space, water, and light. This is called dispersal. Some seeds are carried b Exploding seedpods y streams or rivers to new g Light and fluffy Some seeds are sent whizzing off by the Cottonwood trees produce force of an exploding seedpod. Gorse pods masses of seeds with fluffy, cottonlike coverings that catch the go POP as they open after drying out, flinging seeds to better growing spots. breeze. They can drift and float for miles. 34 rowing spots.

The male catkins release Many seeds are light, and sha Javan cucumber yellow pollen between winter and spring. The seeds of the Javan cucumber vine move through the air like Wind pollination butterflies. Their huge, winged Pollen—which many plants produce casings are wider than your hand, in order to make seeds—drifts and shaped to help the seeds swirl through the air, too. Hazelnut trees over tropical forests. release pollen from male catkins, to be carried by the wind to the smaller ped to catch the breeze. female flowers. Animals and seeds Birds, bats, and other creatures swallow seeds as they munch on fruit. The seeds are carried off inside the animal’s stomach, and dropped to the Tiny parachutes ground when it poops. gtoersmprionuatteadn.d Wghreonw,awseeesdaybietghianss Dandelion seeds are suspended below tiny, fluffy parachutes, which catch the air to help them float. A puff of breath or a gust of wind carries the seeds away. Dandelion 35

Olives FRUIT Olives are the fruit Fruit is the part of a flowering plant of olive trees that that contains the seeds. It protects grow around the the seeds until they are ready to be Mediterranean. spread, by animals eating the fruit. They start out green, and darken to black or brown. Olive Wild cherry Lemon Banana 36 Fig Pomegranate

NUTS Chestnuts True nuts are a type of hard fruit. But Chestnuts are many of the things we think of as true nuts. They nuts are actually dried seeds that are the fruit of the European are good to eat, called culinary nuts. chestnut tree, wrapped in a prickly casing. Walnut Chestnut (culinary nut) Cashew Pistachio (culinary nut) (culinary nut) Macadamia 37 Pecan (culinary nut)

Sugar maple Trees grow throughout their lives. Canada’s sugar maple trees are tall and strong. Their sap is thickened into maple syrup. Redwood Kapok The tallest trees Kapok trees are giants of the on Earth are the South American rainforests, evergreen coastal towering above the canopy. redwoods of They are drought deciduous— California. They can grow taller they lose their than the Statue of leaves in the Liberty or Big Ben! dry season. TATRHREEOEUWSNODRLD Monkey puzzle Trees are long-lived plants with These ancient a canopy of leaves at the top of a evergreens from Chile woody stem. They absorb pollution were dinosaur food during gases and release oxygen that the Jurassic Period, 150 million we breathe. There are more than years ago. They have spirals of 60,000 species around the world. triangular leaves. 38 There are no trees in Antarctica—it’s too cold!

Oak Silver birch Oaks are large, mostly deciduous The silvery bark on these trees trees with leathery leaves. They peels away like paper. Their thin have nuts, called acorns, which leaf canopies let sunshine sit in little woody cups. through, which plants beneath need to grow. Ginkgo Japanese cherry These deciduous trees The blossoms of these trees from China existed are a symbol of spring in Japan. Clouds of pink before dinosaurs! Some flowers are celebrated far ginkgo fossils are more and wide in a tradition known as Hanami. than 200 million years old. African baobab These trees live for thousands of years. Their barrel-like trunks sdsportproyiolralsdeenuiwatcnssaetotphfenrrrl,uiavwsiteochd.beeuynaraeToiflnhebnlogweadwsbteh,ssseoAwcauaeksnetrtu-asplmiawenllatirnetgeesfrl.ohwaveers. They grow wild in distant countries, such as Italy, after being carried overseas by humans. rootsGolden wattleTreehold 39

RAINFOREST Hoffmann’s CANOPY two-toed sloth This tangled layer of leaves and branches, A slow-moving sloth clings to creepers and vines, is filled with tropical branches with its long arms and wildlife. There is more sunlight and rain hooked claws. It spends almost here, high up above the forest floor. all its life upside down. Sticky pads on its toes help this frog cling to branches. Rterdee-efyroegd This frog’s green skin helps it blend in with its leafy surroundings. It flashes its red eyes and displays its orange feet to startle predators. Orchids grow on branches, taking in nutrients and moisture from the air. Insects Toucan Many thousands of insect With its large beak, a species live in the canopy toucan picks fruit from layer. Scientists think there branches that are too may be millions more species small for it to stand on. still to be discovered there! It can also delve into tree holes and grab 40 other birds’ eggs.

The leaves of a bromeliad Howler monkeys plant fan out around a cup-shaped center, which These monkeys start and end catches rainwater. each day with a cacophony of deep howls. They are letting other howler monkeys know to stay away. Silky anteater Lianas are thick, woody vines that This nocturnal mammal climb up tree trunks, is the world’s smallest in search of sunlight. anteater. It can eat Higher and higher thousands of ants each night, then sleeps curled up Each layer of the rainforest in a ball during the day. offers a different habitat for animals and plants. Higher up Eyelash viper there is plenty of sunlight, breeze, and rain. The forest This small, venomous snake has scales that stick out around its floor is dark and damp. eyes, like eyelashes. It ambushes small animals, before gulping Emergent layer them down whole. Canopy Understory Forest floor 41

Cumulonimbus Cirrus Thundery cumulonimbus Wispy cirrus clouds look like clouds are the tallest of all. locks of hair. They are formed They have dramatic, dark by ice crystals high up, where bottoms, thinner middles, the air is much colder. and wide, lighter tops. Stratocumulus Stratus clouds may spread out and break up to form puffy stripes of stratocumulus clouds, low in the sky. CLOUD WATCHING Clouds are made of tiny water droplets and ice crystals. They form when water vapor—water as a gas—cools and turns to liquid or ice. There are many different types of cloud... 42

Altostratus Cirrocumulus A sheet of gray or bluish Rising and falling air altostratus clouds cover most makes rippled patterns— of the sky, at midlevel. The sun like fish scales. These may glow softly through them. small clouds are made of ice crystals and supercool Cumulus liquid, high up in the sky. These clouds look like soft, Look for white cotton candy. They form interesting shapes! lower down, where rising currents of warm, moist air first begin to cool. Noctilucent Stratus Night-shining A low, gray blanket of stratus noctilucent clouds clouds form when warmer, damp shimmer higher than air breezes in after chilly weather. any other clouds in the They often brings drizzle. sky. They may appear just after sunset on clear summer evenings. 43

Upside down “rainbows” Twinned rainbows These aren’t really rainbows at all. They Twinned rainbows are very form when light refracts though ice rare. No one is sure why they crystals, high up in cirrus clouds. The scientific name is “circumzenithal arc.” happen. Many scientists, however, think the light A double rainbow is refracted through water happens when there droplets that aren’t spherical. is a double reflection of light inside the water droplets. Catching a rainbow RAINBOWS Rainbows look arc-shaped from the Rainbows only appear under ground, but they are the right conditions. The sun actually full circles. must be behind you and low in the sky, with water droplets in Sunlight travels in waves, which bounce front of you. and bend. It looks white, but is really made of all the colors of the rainbow. 44

Red rainbow Fogbows When the sun is on These ghostly looking arcs are formed the horizon, blue and by the tiny water droplets that make up green light is scattered fog. Fogbows are almost white, with only across the sky by Earth’s atmosphere. This leaves the faintest of colors visible. yellows and reds to form a rainbow. rHaowinbaorwes formed? Moonbows When sunlight passes from air into a Moonbows are rare lunar water droplet, it bends—or refracts. It rainbows, made by moonlight. bounces off the opposite side and Our eyes see moonbows as almost refracts again as it passes out of the white, even though all the colors raindrop. As it refracts, it separates into different colors. are there very faintly. 45

CLIFF FACE Common lizard The craggy face of a tall sea cliff reaches A common lizard darts up into the air. Hardy plants and wildlife across the rock, seeking out make their homes on rocky shelves and a sheltered sunbathing spot. between the cracks. Lizards are cold-blooded, which means they need the sun’s heat to stay warm. Thrift The common lizard can shed its tail to distract Stems of frilly, pink pom-poms sway an attacking predator. above dense clumps of green. Thrift Butterflies and moths grows happily in nooks and on are drawn to thrift ledges, high up in the salty air. for its sweet nectar. Rock samphire is a tasty salty vegetable, but harvesting it is a dangerous job! Rock samphire Succulent rock samphire sprouts from crevices. It finds a way to hang on even when there is little soil. 46

Seabirds A gannet circles above the sea, ready to plunge Razorbills and other seabirds nest on into the water and cliff faces, keeping their eggs and snatch a fish for supper. chicks out of reach of predators, such Gannets as foxes. But gulls and ravens are still a threat. Battered rock Razorbills Wind, rain, and powerful waves batter the rock, where high land Roseroot meets the sea. Over time, the Roseroot lights up shady rock is worn away. crannies with its yellow flowers. These hardy plants can survive in Waves smash the cliff with pebbles at great force. freezing Arctic conditions. Small pieces of rock break away. Stripes of rock Cliffs can be striped with layers of red sandstone and white chalk, or other types of rock. The different layers form over millions of years, because of changing conditions on Earth. 47

Zebra spiders WALL CLIMBERS are less than 0.4 in (1 cm) Up on a wall there is life between the long, but bricks and mortar. Plants sprout, creep, they can jump as high and climb, while creatures, hide, as 4 in (10 cm)! nestle, or bask in the sunshine. Honeysuckle Zebra spider Climbing plants This little striped, jumping spider stalks its prey across walls and fences. These plants sense when they brush against a wall or another It creeps up on other small spiders, flies, and moths, then pounces. plant to cling to. Many are vines, which grip a surface with twining Wisteria tendrils, suckers, or clinging roots. Ivy-leaved toadflax Ivy-leaved toadflax Passionflower This flowering plant sows its own seeds Grape in the crevices of walls. After pollination, the seed heads bend toward the wall to shed the seed. 48