Download 3 River Wildlife

3. River Wildlife
Rivers flow from high land, where they have stony beds, to lowlands, where their beds are made of
mud and silt, to the sea, where rivers become tidal, and sandbanks and mudflats are common. Different
plants and animals are adapted to live around each part of the rivers course.
In the upper part of the river, the water flows quickly over stony beds that would sweep many plants
and animals away. So most river animals found here are strong swimmers or can shelter between the
rocks. Here animals feed on leaves falling into the water or catch insects on or in the water. Birds such
as small dippers can be seen.
Downstream, in the middle section, water flows slowly enough for sand, silt and mud to settle. Many
animals make use of this soft material to protect themselves. Animals such as freshwater pearl mussels
dig into the sand and rooted plants can grow here. More varieties of fish are found and kingfishers and
otters can be seen.
At the mouth of the river, the water is slower and the bottom becomes thick with mud. More plants
can take root and huge numbers of borrowing animals such as snails can thrive. Wading birds of all
kinds are adapted to find food buried in the sand and mud. Birds include curlew, redshank,
oystercatcher and ducks.
Riverbanks are important in many ways. They provide food, space and shelter for plants and animals,
as insects falling from riverbank trees and grasses are a source of food for aquatic insects. Vegetation
provides shade for aquatic plants and animals living near the water’s edge. The riverbank acts as a
corridor for animals that depend on the river for food and shelter. Trees and marshy areas provide
shelter for nesting birds and homes for burrowing animals such as water vole and otter. The vegetation
also strengthens the river bank, preventing erosion and keeping the water clear.
River Wildlife
Fish
Atlantic salmon
Brown trout
Sea trout
Eel
Lamprey
Minnow
Pike
Artic charr
Birds
Heron
Osprey
Dipper
Kingfisher
Goosander
Ducks
Swan
Cormorant
Merganser
Goldeneye
Mammals
Otter
Water vole
American mink
Common seal
Grey seal
Amphibians
Common frog
Common toad
Palmate newt
Smooth newt
Insects
Freshwater shrimp
Mayfly
Stonefly
Caddisfly
Molluscs
Freshwater pearl mussel
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Lesson Plan
Activity 1 – River Mind Map
a) Ask the class to create a river biodiversity mind map, listing as many fish, plants and mammals
as they can that live in the river and on the riverbank. To get the class thinking about a river
environment, you could read or listen to chapter 1 of Wind in the Willows.
b) Find out more about important river creatures including Atlantic salmon, otter, water voles
and freshwater pearl mussels.
Online Resources:
1. River Runners Book by Scottish Natural Heritage has photos and information about Atlantic
salmon and freshwater pearl mussels http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/online/NaturallyScottish/riverrunners/lampreys.asp
2. An introduction to Atlantic salmon- http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/learningzone/index.html
3. Otter - http://www.mammal.org.uk/species-factsheets/Otter
4. Water vole - http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/education/watervoles.pdf
5. Scottish Natural Heritage, About Scotland’s Nature http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlandsnature/
Activity 2 – Lamprey - a lesser known fish
Lampreys must be among the mostly rarely seen and poorly understood of all the fish species found
in Scottish rivers. Their fossil remains show that they were around long before the dinosaurs. There
are three different types of lamprey, named after where they live – river, brook and sea lamprey.
Lamprey look similar to eels, but have several unusual features, such as no bones, no jaws and a large
flexible lip they use to attach themselves to host fish (salmon and trout) to eat their flesh and blood.
a) Search for river lamprey using an internet search engine and look at lamprey photos. Find out
what makes them different to other fish found in the river.
Online Resources:
1. River Runners Book by Scottish Natural Heritage http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/online/NaturallyScottish/riverrunners/lampreys.asp
Activity 3 – Native and non-native wildlife
Non-native species are plants or animals which have been introduced to areas outside their natural
range through human actions. Many non-native species are harmless, but some plants and animals
spread rapidly and threaten native species by predation, competing for resources such as food and
growing space or introducing new diseases.
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An example of this is the American mink, which were introduced to Britain for fur farming and have
contributed to a dramatic decline of water voles, the beloved Ratty in Wind in the Willows. Water vole
numbers have declined by 95% in Britain due to mink predation, habitat and water quality changes.
a) Investigate why numbers of water voles have reduced in rivers across Britain. What has
caused the decline? Learn more about American mink – what do they eat, how are they
adapted to spend time underwater why they were brought to Britain?
b) Investigate other examples of non-native species such as grey squirrels, American signal
crayfish and Giant hogweed.
c) Organise and host a debate about removing invasive non-native species. This activity aims to
promote independent thinking in older pupils and to encourage them to understand the
ethics and reasons behind invasive species removal.
Online Resources:
1. Water vole - http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/education/watervoles.pdf
2. Wildscreen Arkive - design an invasive non-native species PowerPoint presentation introduces
what non-native invasive species are and examples, including American mink.
http://www.arkive.org/education/teaching-resources-7-11
3. Scottish Mink Initiative Schools Pack, Level 4, Debate Information
http://www.scottishmink.org.uk/educational-material-and-resources/
4. Videos of American mink http://www.scottishmink.org.uk/mink-channel/
5. Factsheets about invasive non-native species
http://www.nonnativespecies.org/index.cfm?sectionid=47
6. Wildscreen Arkive classroom presentation and worksheet about controlling invasive nonnative species http://www.arkive.org/education/teaching-resources-11-14
Activity 4 - Homework Project
Ask children to create a talk, piece of writing, poster or PowerPoint presentation about a native
species found in or around your local river.
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