GARDEN WILDLIFEThe age of a garden has a great effect on the abundance of its wildlife. Since most animals depend ultimately on plants for their food, animal life cannot easily establish itself in the absence of plant life. A plot of land behind a newly-built house, even if covered with a layer of good soil, will support very few resident species other than microscopic organisms. Apart from the odd worm or spider, not many creatures will be able to make a living in the garden at this stage. Colonisation takes place gradually. Humans may introduce plants, and weed seeds will arrive on the breeze or be dropped by passing birds. Insects and other animals visit the garden and, given suitable conditions, they take up residence there. Despite all this activity, however, it takes years for a garden to become fully populated, and it cannot really be regarded as mature until it is capable of supporting fully-grown shrubs and trees. On this basis, a large number of British gardens are immature, in as much as they do not support such a variety of wildlife as an older garden.
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