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Secrets of
the Woods
UNDERSTANDING: The forest community is made up of producers, consumers and decomposers working in balance with each other. The forest ecosystem includes the forest community and nonliving factors such as soil, sun, water, wind and air.
PREPARATION: Locate a forested area that will be easy to work in, one that doesn’t have too many low shrubs and small trees, and isn’t too fragile. If possible, find an area with a stream and some openings where sunlight penetrates the forest floor. LESSON: Warm-up: Review ecological community concepts (plants and animals living together and interdependent within a defined area.) Then review the concept of an ecosystem. Explain that the group will be scientists exploring a forest ecosystem, by studying a small part of it. Show them the rope and explain that a circle with a radius of the rope’s length (37.2 ft.) equals one-tenth of an acre (see diagram). Show them the other materials and data sheets. Divide the group into teams of two or three. Help them set up the learning circles with the rope. (You might wish to set these up ahead of time as part of your preparation.) Activity: Give the teams their assignments using one of the following methods: 1) Each team completes a section of the data sheet and gathers data at each of the learning circles. 2) Each team completes all of the data sheet at one learning circle. 3) Each team completes a data sheet at each learning circle. Help the children explore the following and record their data: A.1. Topography -- Is the ground level? How hilly is it? A.2. Temperature -- Measure the temperature at ground level, in the soil, and part way up a tree. A.3. Air -- Is it windy? What direction is the wind blowing? How hard is it blowing? A.4. Sunlight -- How much penetrates the forest floor? Is there a difference in how many and what type of plants grow based on this factor? (You can use photo-sensitive paper or photometer to measure the relative amounts of sunlight.) A.5. Soil -- Dig a small hole and feel the texture by rubbing a small amount between the finger tips. Is it sandy, clayish? How does it smell? What is its color? Is there evidence of animals living in it? How wet is it? A.6. Water -- Is there a body of water, and if so, does its presence affect plant life? Does the soil seem wetter 10 feet from the water as compared to 25 feet? B.1. Plants (producers) -- List all evidence of plant life. Are trees broad-leaved or conifers? What is the percentage of mature trees, saplings, shrubs and flowers? B.2. Animals (consumers) -- List all evidence of animals. Are there homes, droppings, food scraps, tracks, bones, fur, broken branches? Don’t forget to look for signs of human presence as well. B.3. Decomposers -- List all evidence, including rotten logs, fungi, ants, beetles, etc. (Note: Some decomposers may also be listed as animals.) Dig through the top layer of leaves on the forest floor. These leaves fell in the past year. The next layer, partially decomposed, fell the year before. How many years does it take before leaves are no longer visible? Wrap-up: Gather into a sharing circle and have each team report its findings. OPTIONS AND FURTHER EXPLORATIONS:
Click here to view or print a PDF of the Forest Ecosystem Data Sheet or Forest Inventory Data Sheet |
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Putting knowledge to work with the people of Maine
A Member of the University of
Maine System |
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