Damaged Plants
|
Was the plant eaten or trampled?
If it was eaten, was it a big animal or a small animal that ate it? Show with your hand what size mouth you think took a bite. If it was trampled, did the animal walk on it or lay down on it? What size animal could it have been? Did the animal have paws or hooves? How long ago was the animal there? How can you tell? |
In any section of forest, no matter how small, you can find evidence of animals in the form of damaged plants.
Get your students focused on the little things; get down close to the ground and examine a square foot of foliage with your students. How many different types of plant damage can you find? Tie plant damage in to habitat, adaptation, and niche. Think about the different ways plants are damaged and what adaptations each animal would need to cause such damage. Think about the adaptations the plant might have to resist the damage. Will the plant recover? How long will it take to recover? Is damage by animals just part of the "cost of doing business" for the plant? What does the plant get in return for having tasty leaves or bark? |
Additional Resources
|
|
|
