Plants are an important part of any ecosystem. They provide shelter for some animals and protection of predators. Without plants, many ecosystems would struggle for oxygen and a way to recycle carbon dioxide given off by animals. And, as you will learn next week, plants are required to provide energy for most of the world's ecosystems. Because plants produce the energy for their ecosystems, they are known as producers.

The kinds of plants affect life around them. For example, rainforests often have a lot of tall, thick trees. As a result, animals must be able to strong enough to scale tall heights, especially if they need seeds found at the top of trees. Later in the you will read about the different biomes, including rainforests. In each of these biomes plant life has had to adapt in order to survive.