Old Growth Forests. Name: Station 1: Symbiosis. A. What is Symbiosis? B. List and define the three types of symbiosis

Transcription

1 Old Growth Forests Name: Station 1: Symbiosis A. What is Symbiosis? B. List and define the three types of symbiosis Station 2: Termites and Trichonympha A. Why is the relationship between Trichonympha and the termite considered symbiotic mutualism? (See Station 1) Station 3: Lichens A. What is a lichen? B. Lichen are an example of a symbiotic relationship called mutualism. Why is this so? C. The cabbage leaf lichen is an epiphyte. What does this mean? D. What large herbivore depends on lichens as a winter food source? 1

2 Station 4: The Spotted Owl A. What type of habitat do spotted owls need for survival? B. What do spotted owls eat? Station 5: The Marbled Murrelet A. Why do ecologists consider marbled murrelets dependent on old growth forests? B. Where do marbled murrelets feed? Station 6: Fungi A. What are some of the roles of fungi in old growth forests? B. What are mycorrhizal fungi? Why are mycorrhizal fungi important to trees? C. What are truffles and what do they look like? E. What do flying squirrels feed on? D. How do animals such as the flying squirrel contribute to dispersal of fungi? Station 7: Salamanders A. What types of habitats do you find salamanders in? B. Why are salamanders sensitive to pollution? C. Are salamanders primary consumers or secondary consumers? 2

3 Station 8: Banana Slugs A. What do banana slugs eat? B. Are banana slugs primary consumers or secondary consumers? Station 9: Characteristic of Old Growth Forests A. List 6 Characteristics of Old Growth forests Station 10: Snags A. What is a snag? B. Why are snags important to forest ecosystems? Station 11: Primary Cavity Nesters A. What is a primary cavity nester and why are they important to old growth ecosystems? B. What is meant by the term Keystone Species? C. How do primary cavity nesters feed? 3

4 Station 12: Secondary Cavity Nesters A. How do secondary cavity nesters differ from primary cavity nesters? B. List three bird species that are considered secondary cavity nesters. C. How do pygmy nuthatches stay warm on cold night? D. What do pygmy nuthatches feed on? E. Is the mountain chickadee an omnivore or a carnivore? Explain. F. Are mountain bluebirds omnivores? Station 13: Epiphytes A. Define the term epiphyte: B. Lichens are common epiphytes in old growth forests. What is a lichen? C. What are three of the ecological roles of lichens in old growth forests?

5 Station 14: Downed Logs - The Drawing Look at the poster sized drawing of a downed log taken from the magazine National Geographic. There is a key to the poster to help you answer the following questions. A. What happens to the wood as a result of numbers 2 and 6 on the diagram? B. Termites invade wood that is weakened by fungal composition. What do termites eat? How do they digest what they eat? (See station #2) C. Look at number 3 on the diagram. (It is near the top of the diagram by the magnifying glass). What created the grooves between the bark and the wood? What keystone species might eat these organisms? (This keystone species is not shown on the diagram. Hint: It has feathers). D. What are numbers 4 and 5 on the diagram? E. What eats numbers 4 and 5? G. Adult bark borer beetles tunnel into wood to lay their eggs. The eggs develop into larvae that feed on wood. What are two organisms that are known to eat adult bark borer beetles? H. Find the flying squirrel (number 16) on the diagram. What is eating the flying squirrel? I. Find the spotted owl (number 18) on the diagram. What are two mammals shown on the diagram that the spotted owl might feed on? 5

6 Station 15: Downed Logs A. Why are downed logs important to old growth ecosystems? Station 16: Downed Logs in Streams A. What is the value of having downed logs in stream in a forest ecosystem? Station 17: Wood - Look at the samples of wood on the lab table. Note the annual growth rings on the cross section. A. What is the difference between spring and summer wood? B. What is the difference between sapwood and heartwood? Station 18: Ecological Niches Three closely related species mammals called voles can be found in old growth forests. They avoid competition from each other by occupying different ecological niches, that is they feed on different things and occupy different micro-habitats. A. What is an ecological niche? B. Describe some differences between the red-backed vole, the white-footed vole, and the red tree vole. Red-backed vole White-footed vole Red tree vole Food Preference Habitat 6

7 Station 19: The Pacific Yew A. What is the medical significance of the Pacific yew? Station 20: Conifers Produce Cones: Conifers are not flowering plants. They produce male and female cones. The male cones produce pollen. The pollen is carried by the wind to female cones. Once the female cones are pollinated, seeds are produced on the cones scales. Pines, firs, hemlocks, sequoias, redwoods, and spruces all produce cones. Examine the female cones that are on the lab table. Note the impressions where two seeds were once attached to the cone scale. The seeds of conifers are edible and provide an important food source for many animals. A. Name a mammal that feeds on conifer seeds. B. Does this mammal hibernate? C. What are the piles of cone scales at the base of a tree called? Station 21: Mature Forests versus Old Growth Forests A. How do old growth forests differ from mature forests? Old Growth Forests Mature Forests B. What is meant by the term Multilayered Canopy? 7

8 Station 22: Rates of Deforestation A. How would you describe the amount of deforestation that has taken place in Olympic National Forest between the 1940's and the 1990's? B. Did the rate of deforestation in Olympic national Forest surprise you? Explain. Station 23: Clear-cuts A. What is meant by the term Clear-cut? B. What is the problem with having clear cuts next to intact old growth forest areas? C. Does clear-cutting create forest fragmentation and habitat isolation? Explain. Station 24: Roosevelt Elk A. Is the Roosevelt Elk and primary consumer or a secondary consumer? B. Why are Roosevelt Elk dependent on healthy, intact, old growth forests? 8

9 Review Questions 1. Imagine that you are a forest ranger in charge of maintaining a healthy old growth forest high in biodiversity. A serious drought has resulted in a bark beetle infestation in the forest. A colleague of yours has suggested that small aircraft (crop dusters) be used to spray pesticides over the forest to kill the bark beetles. Do you agree with your colleague? Should a pesticide spraying program be initiated? Explain the rationale for your yes or no answer in detail. 2. This drought has weakened the trees in the forest and made them susceptible to fungal attack. Would you initiate the use of fungicides in the forest to eliminate all fungi? Explain. 3. The Black Forest in Germany has been managed to maximize timber production. Snags and downed logs are removed to create more room for young trees to grow. Does this practice have implications for forest biodiversity? Explain. 9

10 4. Complete the following food web: 10