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Principles of Ecology
Applying Ecological Principles—Teacher Guide
Duration: Variable
Group Size: Small to large class
Setting: Classroom
Author: University of Idaho: Brianna Goehring
Goal:
Students will:
 Practice reading comprehension while applying ecological principles.
Materials Needed:

Applying Ecological Principles Activity handout
Process:

Do activity in class or assign as homework.
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Name
Activity—Student Handout
Principles of Ecology
Applying Ecological Principles: Read the following passage and then answer the questions.
Milkweed is a plant commonly found throughout fields and pastures and along roadsides in eastern and central
North America. It gets its name from the milky white sap that oozes when the plant is broken or cut. Milkweed plants
bloom in June and July. When fertilized, the flowers form large seedpods that open in the fall. The following observations
were taken from a scientist’s field study of milkweed plants from spring through fall.
In the summer, the sugary nectar secreted by the milkweed’s flowers attracts many bees, butterflies, moths, and a
variety of smaller insects that carry away pollen when they depart. Milkweed nectar seems to be the major sources of
nutrition for several small species of small moths, flies, mosquitoes, and ants. Monarch butterflies, which visit in large
numbers, lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and the hatching caterpillars feed on the leaves. As fall approaches, milkweed
bugs begin to attack the developing seeds, and milkweed beetles eat the foliage.
Aphids, which suck milkweed sap, are found throughout the year. Crab spiders do not feed on the plant itself, but
rather on most of the insects that visit the plant. In the two to three weeks while the milkweed plants are in bloom,
successful adult female crab spiders may increase ten times in mass before laying their eggs on the inner surface of leaves.
Some species of flies and wasps, which feed on crab spider eggs, visit the plants periodically. Harvestmen, also known as
daddy longlegs, consume the remains left by predators.
Multiple Choice: Select the best answer.
1. The main idea of the passage is
a. The life cycle of the milkweed plant
b. The anatomy of the milkweed plant
c. The relationship between the milkweed plant and its consumers
d. The habitat of the milkweed plant.
2. The habitat of the milkweed is best described as
a. A grassy bank near a stream
b. The lower hills of a mountainous region
c. The rocky areas near roadsides
d. Fields, pastures and along roadsides
3. The niche of the milkweed is best described as
a. A consumer
b. An autotroph
c. A scavenger
d. A herbivore
4. The niche of the harvestman (daddy longlegs) is best described as
a. A consumer
b. An autotroph
c. A scavenger
d. A herbivore
5. From the scientist’s data it can be inferred that the abiotic factor affecting the milkweed is
a. Amount of rainfall
b. Changing season
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c. Type of minerals in the soil
d. Presence of aphids
6. Explain what information you used from the passage to support your answer to #5. (3 2 1 0 pts.)
7. Identify the type of symbiotic relationship present between aphids and the milkweed plant. Support your answer
with information from the passage. (5 4 3 2 1 0 pts.)
8. Distinguish between a population and a community by illustrating their differences using information from the
passage. (5 4 3 2 1 0 pts.)
9. Predict, with explanation, a possible effect on the local population of crab spiders if a farmer uses an herbicide on
the milkweed found on his farm. (5 4 3 2 1 0 pts.)
10. Based on the scientist’s observations, what is a possible food web that begins with a milkweed plant? (Your food
web must have at least 6 organisms in it.) (6 5 4 3 2 1 0 pts.)
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