Chapter 679: The Fallen Leaf Castle and the Longhorn Beetle Tree

Fang Ye said, "Although the story of the Yellow-breasted Bunting is somewhat sad, it's still a pleasant surprise to see them visiting our rice fields.

This is exactly what our native exhibit area aims to showcase. The cities we live in were once like this.

The Yellow-breasted Bunting sang in the fields, and tadpoles grew in the streams.

With the rapid advancement of urbanization, not only has the living space of native species been encroached upon, but the connection between people and nature in cities has also been disrupted, leading to various problems.

The native exhibit area hopes to help everyone reconnect with these animals that once lived alongside us and to think about the relationship between humans and nature."

"This exhibit area is amazing, I definitely want to visit it someday."

"The rice fields attracting Yellow-breasted Buntings to rest here—this zoo is impressive!"

As the temperature recently dropped, the green leaves of the maple trees turned slightly yellow, gently swaying in the breeze. Golden sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting a golden glow on the path.

There was a pile of fallen leaves by the roadside, with a display board beside it.

A curious viewer asked, "What's being displayed here?"

Fang Ye smiled and said, "The native exhibit area doesn't just showcase a few native animals. The habitat is the foundation; only with habitats created by native plants can native biological communities emerge.

This area showcases the pile of fallen leaves, which has a beautiful name: the Fallen Leaf Castle.

Fallen leaves are an important part of the natural cycle.

When leaves fall from the branches, their journey ends, but they continue life in another form.

Fallen leaves decompose, providing rich organic matter to the soil, making it loose. Due to microbial fermentation, even in winter, the pile of fallen leaves remains warm, becoming a castle for many small animals to overwinter.

Stag beetles and some scarab beetle larvae feed on the fermented leaves and spend their larval stage in the leaf pile. This is why you don't see them in cities—because of the lack of fallen leaves."

"I see!"

"Doraemon and Nobita's favorite activity was catching stag beetles in the back hills, which was also my childhood dream."

The viewers found it interesting and were surprised that even a pile of fallen leaves could be part of an exhibit.

A sharp-eyed viewer said, "What's that dead tree ahead? It looks like it's hiding something."

At first glance, it was just a yellow-brown dead tree! It was full of holes, as if eaten by insects.

There was a noticeable cut mark in the middle of the trunk, like the cover of a book.

Fang Ye smiled, opened the tree bark like a book, and revealed a display board hidden inside the trunk, introducing the longhorn beetle.

Fang Ye touched the insect holes on the trunk and said, "Everyone has probably seen longhorn beetles, right? Did you catch them when you were kids?

Have you ever imagined what a tree looks like after being eaten by longhorn beetles? This is the result of their eating."

Talking about longhorn beetles brought back many childhood memories for viewers.

"Behind my mom's hospital, there was a wild area. In the summer, it was full of insect and bird sounds. I caught longhorn beetles, grasshoppers, and butterflies there. Sometimes, I was lucky enough to see stick insects. During summer vacation, I would go with my mom to her work, playing there all day, sweating but having so much fun."

"I often saw longhorn beetles in elementary school! Black with spots on their backs, and their antennae were black and white. My favorite game was to swing them by their antennae until they were dizzy."

"I loved catching longhorn beetles in elementary school. Once, I caught a big one and played with it in my hand. It bit my hand so hard it drew blood. It hurt so much that I never dared to catch one again."

"Shouldn't you have bitten it back?"

"Haha, I never got bitten by longhorn beetles. Just hold them by their backs! They make a 'creak creak' sound."

"My family's peach tree was killed by longhorn beetles, full of these holes."

"It's been a long time since I've seen a longhorn beetle!"

Fang Ye said, "In everyone's impression, longhorn beetles might be seen as pests, hollowing out tree trunks and harming the environment.

But every wild animal has its unique ecological significance. Adult female longhorn beetles use their sharp mandibles to gnaw on tree bark, leaving wounds on branches and laying eggs. The larvae, after hatching, tunnel through the tree trunk, creating long tunnels and leaving visible wounds on the branches.

These wounds ooze nutrient-rich sap, attracting small beetles to feed. The beetles' feeding prolongs the healing time of the branches, causing more sap to flow.

In hot and humid weather, the sap emits a fragrance, attracting more and larger diners, such as butterflies, stag beetles, and wasps. These large insects, in turn, attract bird predators.

The forest residents rely on the dining spots created by longhorn beetles throughout the summer."

Listening to his explanation, the viewers couldn't help but imagine a vibrant little forest world, with longhorn beetles drilling holes in tree trunks, and various insects and birds visiting.

Fang Ye said, "In a healthy natural forest, there's no need to worry about longhorn beetles causing harm. They are part of a healthy ecosystem. In a monoculture plantation, however, they can become a disaster due to the lack of natural predators. The more complex the ecosystem, the more stable it is."

Passing by a pointed grain silo with a "Harvest" character on it, it gave off a countryside backyard vibe.

Next to the grain silo was the red fox exhibit!

When they arrived, the keeper was just about to feed the foxes.

Fang Ye didn't rush in and smiled, "Let's see how the foxes are fed."

The keeper opened the cage door, and the usually lazy Prince became excited at mealtime, wagging his tail and rushing up, chirping loudly.

The keeper scattered some food in the buffer area and blew a whistle: "Dinner time!"

Xiao Qiao was still a bit reserved, while Youyou and Tang Bao, the two foxes, followed Prince into the buffer area and started eating.

The keeper then closed the buffer area door and set up the feeding area without being disturbed by the foxes.

Tang Bao was too lively, always causing trouble during feeding, and Prince would relentlessly follow the food.

Fang Ye said, "The boxes contain thawed mice. If we just put them directly, the foxes would easily find them. So, we place them in boxes and hide them to increase the difficulty of finding food, extending their foraging time. This is a regular enrichment practice."