Download New England Forest Ecology

New England Forest Ecology
An Environmental Education Curriculum Guide
ENED 890
Table of Contents
Introduction
NEW ENGLAND VERNAL POOL ECOSYSTEMS ........................................................... 2
Activity: Building Beaver Lodges ........................................................................ 3
WILDLIFE TRACKING & INTERPRETING ANIMAL SIGNS .......................................... 4
Activity: Animal Scavenger Hunt ........................................................................ 6
NEW ENGLAND FOREST LANDSCAPE HISTORY ........................................................ 7
SUCCESIONAL FORESTS IN NEW ENGLAND ............................................................... 8
Activity: Forest Walk Part One and Part Two .............................................. 9
NEW ENGLAND BIODIVERSITY ...............................................................................10
Activity: Biodiversity Art ..................................................................................... 11
Dedicated to Robin Ellwood, for whom patience knows no limits.
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Introduction
Following the conclusion of the research project, the group decided to translate
the research project experience into designing an Environmental Education
curriculum plan that applied Inquiry Learning Instruction methods through the
experience and participation by the students. The curriculum, New England
Forest Curriculum Guide, is a comprehensive science unit with a daily subject
component. The daily subject components were determined off the premise of
being fundamental subjects in the comprehensive understanding of New
England Forest Ecology.
 The activities and lesson plans serve as a guide to the course and can be
modified to fit the needs of the students. The level of difficulty can also be
modified so as to address early to late education levels.
New England Vernal Pool Ecosystems
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Objectives:
1. Students will learn the concept of ecosystems, abiotic and biotic factors
2. Students will become familiar with the unique vernal pool habitat
a. How vernal pools form,
b. Where vernal pools form
3. Students will understand how species of the vernal community are uniquely
adapted to this habitat.
a. Beaver lodges and beaver dams
b. The components of beaver lodges
Terminology/ Concepts:
Ecosystem; what defines an ecosystem, interactions of an ecosystem
Abiotic Factors; interactions with biotic factors
Biotic Factors; interactions with abiotic factors
Habitat; purpose of a habitat
Vernal Pool; as an ecosystem and habitat
Adaptations; how and why species adapt
The vernal pool habitat is a fast-changing, freshwater habitat with species adapted
to survive periods of drought. A vernal pool forms when impermeable soils
underlying the topsoil allow pools to form in depressions during winter rains. The
pools fill up during the winter, begin drying out in spring and summer, and are often
completely dry during late summer and fall. (Terrain Magazine, Fall 2000)
An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of living and non-living
components.
Abiotic factors are non-living, chemical and physical components in an ecosystem
(i.e. rain, sun, soil, etc.)
Biotic factors are living, chemical and physical components in an ecosystem (i.e.
vegetation, animals, etc.)
A habitat is the natural place in which an organism lives and grows.
Adaptation is the ability of a species to survive in a particular environment
because of alterations of form or behavior.
Activity: Building Beaver Lodges
Apply the concept of ecosystems to vernal pools as beaver habitats. Determine
the adaptations of beavers and how they structure their habitats.
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Beaver Lodges
 Introduce beaver lodges by outlining the materials and structure of a
lodge
o Compartments, entrances, venting
o Clay, mud, wood based structures
o Provide protection from predators and weather
o Raise and protect young, breeding
Materials:
Popsicle sticks, toothpicks, craft sticks (variant sizes)
Craft clay
Plastic tray
Procedure:
1. Have the students work in groups or individually to construct a beaver
lodge using the materials provided.
2. Lodges must be constructed in a plastic tray with ~1-3cm of water on
the bottom
3. Students can manipulate materials as desired, however no outside
materials may be introduced.
4. Lodges must include an entrance(s), compartment(s), vent(s).
5. Lodges must be able to withstand water entering the lodge from
underneath.
6. Have student present each lodge and describe the features of their
structure as it relates to beaver lodge construction.
Discussion:
 What lodge structures were the most effective? How were
the materials used?
 How did the use of resources affect the outcome? What
were some of the limitations?
 How do the limitations translate to the environmental
limitations that beaver have while building lodges?
 How would the construction change if there was more
water? Less water?
Animal Composition
Wildlife Tracking, Interpreting Wildlife Signs
Lesson: Wildlife: Tracking and Interpreting Signs
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Objective: To learn how to interpret wildlife signs and track animals in
nature.
Key Terms:
Scat – Animal excrement
Track – Animal footprint
Range – Where the animal can be found (Also: Distribution)
Diurnal – Active during the day
Nocturnal – Active during the night
Diversity – Variety
Predator – Animals that eat other living things
Prey – Animal that is eaten by other animals
Outline of Lesson/Outcomes
 Animal tracking has been thought of as just looking at animal
footprints. However, there are many other ways to track animals such
as through scat, tree and ground scratches, fur, etc.
 Introduce animal tracks and signs. The student should be able to
answer to following questions:
1. What are signs of wildlife?
2. How would you identify an animal from its track?
3. How would you identify an animal from its scat and other
characteristics?
4. What can the tracks tell us about the animal? Predator or
prey? Juvenile or adult?
 To start the discussion, give the students this handout and go over after
a sufficient amount of time. If this is too easy create your own guide to
hand out to students.
http://www.kids.parks.ca.gov/pages/22784/images/animalprints.gif
 From this starting point, discuss the differences between predator and
prey and how their tracks and other characteristics are used to their
advantage? (Cats and dogs have claws. Some prey has fingers to help
them climb trees. Etc.)
 What are different animal interactions in an ecosystem? Why is
diversity so important?
Activity: Animal Scavenger Hunt
o Split class into teams of 4-6 students.
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o Allow them to bring Wildlife Identification Key (Animal Guide on wiki)
and other means of recording their findings. These can be a camera,
pen and paper, etc.
o Have the students take note of why the animals were at that particular
spot. For example:
 Was this spot near water?
 Were there a lot of acorns on the ground?
o Each animal signs counts as one point.
o Give them time to find animal signs in the woods and try to identify the
animals that made those prints.
o Allow time for research in the classroom if the scat or track is not in the
guide. The winning team wins a prize or bonus points.
 If time and budget allows, complete this idea.
http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ561.html
 Go out as a group and find different tracks and preserve them to bring
back to the classroom to use in later lessons.
New England Forest Landscape History
Objectives
 Learn about common features of New England landscapes.
 Learn the history behind anthropogenic remnants, and what they indicate for
past land use.
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
Learn about what natural disturbance regimes are present in New England
forests.
Terminology
Disturbance- Event, natural or anthropogenic which cause the destruction of the
forest, both small and large scale.
Regime- Routine or cycle, often required for continued forest growth.
Outline
Discussion of what large disturbances occur in New England forests
Fire- Burns from fuel pockets, difference between soot and fungus
Winter Storms- Direction of wind blow logs
Humans, Logging- Stumps and stump sprouting
Insects- Pine weevils
Discussion of anthropogenic remnants
Stone walls
Different types of stone walls and what they indicate
Decay of logging stumps
Heart rot in hardwoods
Sapwood rot in softwoods
Out of place trees/shrubs
Lilacs
“Weird apples”
Activity
 Walk in the woods- look for the signs of past land usage.
 Look for evidence in human refuse left, stone walls, indicators on trees, and
in the ground.
 Try to look at the woods with a critical eye and say “why did things get to be
that way?”
 Try to figure out the use of stonewalls and what the land use was on either
side of them.
 Go to multiple sites around the school or in a local park and try to figure out
what has happened there.
Successional Phases in New England Forests
Objectives
 Understand that succession is a cycle and not a pathway
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

Understand what vegetative species are grouped together to form
communities
Integrate previous lessons together
Terminology
Climax community- Group of later successional species that are slow growing
and shade tolerant, and that aren’t outcompeted by other species.
Early successional species- Species that are the first to colonize a disturbed site.
Late successional- Shade tolerant species that grow in the understory and
eventually out compete early successional species.
Succession-Process- By which disturbed ground is colonized by plant
communities and outcompeted by later communities in a movement towards a
climax community.
Outline

Review of the life history characteristics of common New England tree
species
AMERICAN BEECH-LATE
HEMLOCK-LATE
WHITE PINE-EARLY
RED MAPLE-EARLY
WHITE OAK-MID TO LATE
RED OAK-MID TO LATE
BLACK OAK- EARLY TO MID
BLACK BIRCH-MID
PAPER BIRCH-EARLY
WITCH HAZEL-EARLY



Forest Walk Part One
Discussion of grouping based on observations and list above
Forest Walk Part Two
Activity: New England Forest Walk
Forest Walk -Part One
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In this forest walk the students identify trees throughout a variety of
forest communities looking for species that are commonly found
together. This gives them an opportunity to ponder ecological
communities and come up with their own ideas for successional phases.
Forest Walk-
Part Two
In this walk
they have
learned what
species are
found together and it is an opportunity to building on past lessons of the
unit. They are encourages to look closely at these communities for
wildlife signs and figure out what wildlife species are commonly found
in what communities. They also look critically for evidence of past land
use and correlate how old the stands are and determine how long has
past since the sites last human use. They can also look at stumps to see
how many times stands have been cut based on rot. This will allow them
to start to connect all thee previous lessons together.
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New England Biodiversity
Lesson Objectives
1. To introduce the students to the topic of biodiversity and its
importance both globally and specifically in New England.
2. Students understand the role of species diversity.
3. Students can apply species diversity to local environments in New
England forests.
4. Students will understand the concepts of endemic, native, introduced,
and invasive species.
Lesson Structure




Define Biodiversity and its importance
Teach concepts of food webs, ecosystems, and interconnectedness
Introduce a variety of unique and prevalent New England specie
Introduce and define species threats and threat levels
Terminology
ENDEMIC
ECOSYSTEMS
POPULATIONS
NATIVE
INTRODUCED
INVASIVE
BIODIVERSITY
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Activity: Biodiversity Art
Outline
·
Drawing of student pictures
·
Discussion of what students think of when they hear biodiversity
·
Define Biodiversity
· Discuss food webs, ecosystems, communities, populations, and
individuals
· Introduce definitions of endemic, native, introduced, and invasive
species
· Discuss the importance of biodiversity and potential threats, as
well as levels of species threat (aka – threatened, endangered, ect.)
·
Redraw and discuss student pictures
Overview
Students should draw a picture before the unit begins in order to
display their understanding of biodiversity in their region. After the unit is
over, students should attempt to redraw their picture, but attempt to
incorporate their newfound understanding of biodiversity. Sharing of their
picture will help students to express their own knowledge, as well as to learn
from others.
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