Leaf litter habitats fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What is leaf litter?

Leaf litter is made up of dead leaves and other debris that fall to the floor of a forest or bushland. It creates a habitat for many different animals, particularly invertebrates. As leaf litter rots, it forms soil, releases nutrients for plants and stops the soil from drying out. Leaf litter has three layers – the leaf litter layer on top, a fermenting layer of rotting leaves, and the humus layer at the bottom where material is fully decomposed.

Leaf litter has three layers. Leaves in the litter layer, rotting leaves in the fermenting layer and the completely rotted humus layer.

Leaf litter as habitat

Animals such as spiders, centipedes and ants move over the surface of the leaf litter, while decomposers such as worms and bush cockroaches tunnel through the soil or live in burrows. Many insects, including cicadas and beetles, spend their larval or nymph stage in the leaf litter or soil, while the adults live higher up in the forest canopy.

Many insects such as cicadas and beetles spend their larval or nymph life stage in the leaf litter or soil while the adults live in the forest canopy.

Jacky dragons hunt for invertebrates in the leaf litter. Their camouflage helps to protect them from predators.

Echidnas hunt for ants and termites hidden in the leaf litter using their 15 centimetre long tongue.

Wolf spiders and some types of trapdoor spiders create burrows in leaf litter.

Wolf spiders

Wolf spiders are arachnids that live in leaf litter or in burrows and are found throughout Australia. There are many species, ranging in size from 1 cm to 8 cm. Wolf spiders are hunters that prey upon insects and other spiders, and some larger species can even eat frogs and small lizards. Their excellent camouflage helps them hide in leaf litter from both predators and prey.

Wolf spiders have excellent camouflage that helps them hide from predators and hunt prey in leaf litter.

Centipedes

Centipedes are myriapods that live in leaf litter, soil or under rocks and logs. They are carnivorous, preying on other small invertebrates such as beetles and millipedes. Centipedes are built for speed, moving quickly through leaf litter and under rotting logs in search of prey.

Centipedes are built for speed. They move quickly through leaf litter and under rotting logs in search of prey.

Related fact sheets

Habitats

• Habitat fact sheet – overview
• Tree habitats fact sheet – explores tree canopies, hollows and bark as habitat.
• Shrub habitats fact sheet – explains how shrubs provide food and shelter between trees and ground cover.
• Ground cover habitats fact sheet – shows how grasses and low plants shelter small animals.
• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – focuses on decomposing leaves and the animals that live in them.
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – explains how rocks and logs create cool, moist shelters.
• Invertebrates fact sheets – overview – links to many animals that live in leaf litter (millipedes, worms, pill bugs, spiders).

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