science education resource

Forest Life Investigation - The Nurse Log

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Read about the Nurse Log "phenomena" in the activity below. On your next walk in the woods, look for fallen trees tht are now rotting logs and overgrowth tree stumps. Examine them closely. Answer the following questions (print out PDF for answer sheet):

1. Do you see signs of animals feeding on top of the log or stump? (broken acorns, pine cones, animals scats)

2. Do you see small tree seedlings growing on top of the log or stump?

3. If you saw both of the things mentioned above, can you make a connection between them? (HINT: How does animals feeding on seeds on the nurse log lead to seedlings growing on and rooting into the nurse log?)

4. Why do you think a nurse log is a good medium for growing young plants?

5. Now sketch the things you see going on there.

More about Nurse Logs.

Watch a movie about Nurse Logs.

Forest Life Activity - The Nurse Log

Use Teacher Login to show answer keys or other teacher-only items.

Citing Research References

When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).

When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Day Month Year of access < URL >.

Here is an example of citing this page:

Amsel, Sheri. "Forest Life Investigation - The Nurse Log " Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 25, 2024
< http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Forest-Life-Investigation-The-Nurse-Log- >

Exploringnature.org has more than 2,000 illustrated animals. Read about them, color them, label them, learn to draw them.