1. Defining Wildlife Habitat & Recognizing Its Importance Reminder: student learning activities are at the end of this power point.

2. Next Generation Science/Common Core Standards Addressed! HS ‐ LS2 ‐ 6. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Examples of changes in ecosystem conditions could include modest biological or physical changes, such as moderate hunting or a seasonal flood; and extreme changes, such as volcanic eruption or sea level rise. HS ‐ LS2 ‐ 8. Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on: (1) distinguishing between group and individual behavior, (2) identifying evidence supporting the outcomes of group behavior, and (3) developing logical and reasonable arguments based on evidence. Examples of group behaviors could include flocking, schooling, herding, and cooperative behaviors such as hunting, migrating, and swarming. HS ‐ LS4 ‐ 6. Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.* [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on designing solutions for a proposed problem related to threatened or endangered species, or to genetic variation of organisms for multiple species.]

3. Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Standards Addressed NRS.01.01.02.a. Summarize the components that comprise all ecosystems.

4. Bell Work / Objectives Describe and list the types of wildlife habitat. List habitat requirements for selected species of animal wildlife. Describe habitat mix. List the goals of habitat production. Describe selected management practices for small areas of habitat.

5. Terms Biome Biotic pyramid Clear-cut Cover Desert Edge Estuary Featured species Firebreaks Home range Interspersion Metabolism Permafrost Savanna Space Species richness

6. Terms Stream Taiga Territory Tundra Understory Vegetation management

7. Various Land Areas What do you see in this image?  Dry  Wet  Hot  Cold What kind of wildlife may be found?

8. What are the types of wildlife habitat? Habitat for animal wildlife can be classified based on ecosystems. Ecosystems are in areas known as biomes. Biomes are large areas with distinct combinations of animals and plants.  There are five types of terrestrial biomes found in the United States. Four of which are found in NM!

9. 5 Types of Terrestrial Biomes Tropical areas near the equator.  Areas in forest or grassland with high temperatures.  Tend to have high rainfall with two seasons: wet and dry.  Birds, insects, frogs, and many other small animals occupy the tops of trees.  Tropical grassland areas tend to have low rainfall but still provide habitats for small grasses and forbs.  This provides good habitat for grazing animals, snakes, rodents, and lizards.

10. 5 Types of Terrestrial Biomes Temperate forest habitats cover much of the southern U.S. Both conifer and deciduous trees are present.  The precipitation varies from moderate to heavy.  Berries, acorns, fruit, and cones are produced for squirrel, deer, rabbit, and quail.

11. 5 Types of Terrestrial Biomes Grasslands and Savannas host the predominant vegetation of grass.  The precipitation is too low to support trees.  There are many grazing animals such as deer, elk, and bison, and many other small rodents, reptiles, and birds.  A savanna is another name for a grassland that is generally used in South America.

12. 5 Types of Terrestrial Biomes Tundra and taiga are both cold climates found in North America.  Tundra is in the Arctic area or at other high elevations and is characterized by low temperatures and permafrost (permanently frozen ground). Many lichens, mosses, a few shrubs, and some grasses grow in tundra areas.

13. 5 Types of Terrestrial Biomes Taiga areas have large conifer forests that can withstand low temperatures and heavy loads of snow.

14. 5 Types of Terrestrial Biomes (cont.) A desert is a sandy area with very dry habitat with little or no rain.  Temperatures range from very hot to very cold.  Moist areas may grow shrubs or scrub trees.

15. 4 Types of Aquatic Biomes Lakes and ponds are natural or artificial reservoirs of earth that usually hold freshwater.  The water temperatures vary with the surrounding climate and source of the water.  Algae, insects, and other small creatures are sources of food for fish, shellfish, and other aquatic wildlife.

16. 4 Types of Aquatic Biomes A stream is flowing water that moves from higher to lower elevation.  Some of this water is from ground runoff, springs, or released by users.  Creeks are small streams; rivers are large streams.  This is the most common aquatic biome in New Mexico.

17. 4 Types of Aquatic Biomes Oceans and Seas result from the flow of freshwater streams into their saltwater body.  Some species prefer the mix of fresh and saltwater in habitats.

18. 4 Types of Aquatic Biomes Wetlands and estuaries have a big effect on land areas and serve as important habitats for some species of animal wildlife.  Swamps and marshes are wetland area along inland streams.  An estuary is the area where a stream flows into an ocean. The wildlife that live here can tolerate both freshwater and brackish water.

20. What are habitat requirements for selected species of animal wildlife? Wildlife species have life requirements that must be met by their habitat to insure well-being, regardless of the biome inhabited.  Food  Water  Cover  Space

21. Life Requirements Food  All living things require food.  Food provides the nutrients needed to live, grow, and reproduce.  A key component of food is energy.  The series of transfers of food energy from one organism to another is called a biotic pyramid.  The internal process by which an organism gets energy from food is metabolism.

22. Life Requirements Water  This is the basic need of life.  Waters chemical structure is H 2 0.  With terrestrial habitats, water determines what species of plants will grow. These plants will determine which animals live there.  In aquatic habitats, there are damaging pollutants such as siltation, sewage, etc. that will affect life.  Some wildlife get most of their water through the food that they eat, while many need a watering area for drinking once or twice a day.

23. Life Requirements Cover  This is needed for most wildlife species, and is sometimes referred to as shelter.  Cover is the vegetation or other material that provides safety in a habitat.  Animals use cover for nesting, resting, and protection from predators and adverse weather.

24. Life Requirements Space  Space provides air, food, and cover for wildlife species.  Space is the area around an organism.  The requirements vary with season, animal, and quality of the habitat.  The space an animal normally uses for living is called home range. It is where the animal gets food, water, and cover. For example the home range of a cougar in NM may exceed fifty square mile.  Within a home range, and individual animal may establish a territory (area smaller that the home range).

25. What is habitat mix? Many animal wildlife species require more than one stage of succession in their habitat. Two stages:  Interspersion  Edge

26. Interspersion Interspersion is mixing lots of different stages within an area. The best way of measuring the amount of interspersion is to use the interspersion index principle.

27. Interspersion This involves counting the number of times a habitat changes from east to west and north to south in aerial photographs. Without dispersal areas, animals have limited access.

28. Edge Edge is the area where two habitats meet. It is also known as ecotone. Habitats with a large amount of edge provide more food, water, and cover for a variety of species than areas of the same vegetation type.

29. Edge Edge quality is measured by the transition that occurs. Edges with high contrast have more species of animal wildlife than those with low contrast.

31. What are the goals of habitat production? Habitat management influences the kinds and diversity of species attracted to the area. Two main goals:  Provide a habitat for a specific wildlife species.  Provide habitats for many different wildlife species.

32. Two Main Goals… To Provide a habitat for a specific wildlife species.  Most habitat is managed for a featured species or for species richness.  Featured species – species that will be promoted through improved habitat.

33. Featured Species is Whitetail Deer Establishment of food plots to control feeding areas for deer are common. Especially when hunting will be used as a management tool. This would be a form of edge management. This is an example of a year round management plot.

34. Two Main Goals…  When managing a habitat for a featured species, it is important to manage a habitat to provide for the needs that are in shortest supply.  This may be water, food, or cover.  In selecting habitat management practices, the effects of practices on species other than the featured species must be studied.  In New Mexico water is the most common management tool for wildlife.

35. Two Main Goals… To provide habitats for many different wildlife species.  Species richness is the number of different species found in an area.

36. Two Main Goals…  The following are a part of the wildlife management plan to promote species richness: a mixture of successional stages is present; unbroken block sizes are of 10 to 40 acres; the edges have high contrast; and a wide variety of vegetation layers is present within each area containing only one successional stage.

37. Two Main Goals…  When managing habitat for species richness, the goal is to provide some habitat for as many species as possible.

38. What are some selected management practices for small areas of habitat? There are several practices used in managing habitats for wildlife. The major practices include:  Vegetation Management  Seeding  Water Sources  Fire  Fertilizer  Site Preservation

39. Vegetation Management Vegetation management is using practices that promote the growth of desired plant species.  This can involve removing understory to promote habitat for large animals. Understory - vegetation that grows beneath trees in a woodland. In NM as in other areas it may mean removal of invasive plant species such as cactus, yucca, creosote or mesquite.

40. Vegetation Management Creating clearings is done by clear- cutting small areas within thickly- wooded areas to attract deer and elk.  Clear-cut means that all the trees in an area are cut.

41. Vegetation Management Thinning an area is done by selectively removing some of the trees in a wooded area. This create holes in the tree canopy and allows more room for smaller trees to grow and improves edge quality.

43. Seeding Establishing food plots by seeding promotes wildlife populations into an area.  Seeding is used to increase the plant population.  Using species preferred food helps target desired populations into an area.  Some common plants used in seeding include: grasses, forbs, and trees.

44. Water Sources Water is necessary in order to live. Ponds, streams, and even lakes are good sources of water for many types of wildlife animals. In NM livestock water tanks are a very important source of wildlife water. Water is pumped by windmills, solar pumps and motors. Earthen tanks filled by runoff are also very important sources of water. It is important to keep these areas free of pollution in order to insure a healthy population.

45. Fires Carefully planned fires are a benefit to habitat growth.  Controlled burns should never be used in dry areas because wildfires can develop.  Firebreaks are shallow ditches or trenches that outline the fire in order to assure that it is controlled.  Fire removes twigs, leaves, and other dead vegetation on the ground that has accumulated over the years and some invasive plants.  Properly using fire helps to renew understory and allows for browse to grow.

46. Fertilizer Fertilizer is used to assure nutrients for adequate plant growth.  Plant species require different nutrients, so it is important to research these topics before purchasing a fertilizer.  Soil testing may be needed in order to determine the kind of fertilizer to use.  When fertilizing, apply evenly over the land. It will produce best results on grasses, forbs, and trees.  Due to our large land mass and low rainfall in New Mexico it is not generally a wise investment to attempt to fertilize wildlife habitat.

47. Site Preservation In some cases, it is best to leave the area undisturbed.  The area must be studied in advance because some practices may destroy food supplies and habitats of animal wildlife and cause them to leave.

49. Review / Summary What are the types of wildlife habitat? What are habitat requirements for selected species of animal wildlife? What is habitat mix? What are the goals of habitat production? What are some selected management practices for small areas of habitat?

50. The End!

51. Student Learning Activities Sample tests are available in the Lesson Plan tab.

54. Biome Books Have them start with 3 sheets of white paper, folded like a hamburger. Then have them use a hand-held hole punch to make two holes in their book. Then use a rubber band and a paperclip to bind the book or you can use staples if you would like. There book should have the 5 traditional biomes and the 4 aquodic biomes discussed in the power point. Each biome should be one page in the booklet. They had to have 3-5 bullets per page and a drawing per page. The students were asked to focus on two things: how the biomes are unique (different from one another) and adaptations of organisms in those biomes. Here is a suggested rubric 7 points per page (title and facts) = 63 3 point per page (drawing) = 27 Color on pages = 5 points Title page (Title, Your name, effort) = 5 points For a total of 100 points Here are two examples that you can show your students.

55. Color all of the biomes across the world. Be sure the label the key with the color for each biome. And give a short discretion of each biome ether on the back or on another piece of paper.

56. KEY

57. Learning Objectives After this activity, students should be able to: Define a biodome and name its important features. Use the engineering design process to create a model biodome of a particular environment. Describe how engineers use their understanding of the biosphere, ecosystems and community interactions to design our human-built environment. Biodomes Engineering Design Project

58. Materials List Each group needs: (Most items are available at hardware or garden center stores.) Biodomes Engineering Design Project Workbook: Lessons 2-6 2 plastic containers (1- and 2-liter bottles with lids work well, or other inexpensive clear plastic trays, bowls, covers and lids) Well in advance, ask students to bring biodome construction materials from home, or rinse out plastic containers from a recycling bin. Seeds (provide several types for different climates) Soil (3-4 cups or.7-.9 l) Sand (3-4 cups or.7-.9 l) Supply of miscellaneous materials, such as pebbles, rocks, wire, small paper cups, plastic wrap, string, foil, popsicle sticks, chopsticks, etc. If insects are not available outside (due to the weather or other limitations), consider purchasing a small supply of crickets from a Photo of a boy and a girl looking at the sand, soil, bark, and water pool in the base of their model biodome. copyright pet store. For the entire class to share: Masking tape Duct tape Glue (preferred: hot glue sticks with glue guns) Scissors Exacto knives (if teacher cuts the plastic bottles) Butterfly nets and/or jars and paper cups (to catch and hold insects and worms) Drill (to make a hole in plastic bottle lids) Water

59. Procedure Before the Activity This activity can be conducted as either a very structured or open-ended design. For a more structured lesson, direct the students to build model biodomes as described in Figure 1. Otherwise, provide students with a variety of materials and set them loose to design a biodome structure of their own imagination (see Figure 2). Gather materials and make enough copies of the Biodomes Engineering Design Project Workbook: Lessons 2-6,(the worksheet in this power point), one per team (staple the pages together to make workbooks).

61. With the Students Part 1: Designing Your Biodome (for Biodomes unit, Lesson 2) Divide the class into engineering teams of two to four students each. Give each group a Biodomes Engineering Design Project Workbook: Lessons 2-6. Have students decide on a name for their engineering design team (and record it on the first page of their workbook). Instruct the students to brainstorm ideas on what a biodome would contain for a given environment. (Provide teams with an environment, perhaps the local environment.) After the students have brainstormed their ideas and shared a few with the class, have them pick one of their ideas from which they will build their team's model biodome. Next, have students draw a picture of their biodome design in the space provided in their workbooks. (Note: For a simple biodome structure, follow the Figure 1 instructions, have students design uniform biodomes, and provide them with a variety of materials, soils and seeds for the interior. For a more open-ended project, instruct the teams to creatively design their own biodome structures and materials [see Figure 2].)

62. Figure 2. Students are creative in their open-ended model biodome designs

63. Part 2: Building Your Biodome Structure (for Biodomes unit, Lesson 2) During this class period, provide each group with the supplies they need to build the structure of their designed biodome. Provide time for the students to build their biodome structures. Remind them that they need a tight seal on their biodome, so that it becomes a completely contained mini-environment (use tape or hot glue, preserving the ability to open/close the biodome for future steps). Have students answer the questions in Part 2 of the workbook. Remind them that engineers often encounter challenges many times during the engineering design process, before they achieve a finished product. Part 3: Energy Flow in Your Biodome (for Biodomes unit, Lesson 3) Instruct students to sit together with the members of their engineering design teams. In their workbooks, have students explain their biodome environment and make a list of the organisms that could be found if their biodome was built on a larger scale. Next, have students draw one or more food chains or food webs to show the flow of energy through their biodome environment. Have them consider the relationships of the food sources and consumers in their individual biodomes. Have several student teams share their food chains or food webs with the class. Discuss the flow of energy through each of their model biodomes. Engage the students in a class discussion about their biodomes. Questions: From where does the energy to sustain your biodomes originally come? (Answer: The sun.) How will you make sure that sunlight gets into your biodome? Where are the air and water sources for your biodomes?

65. Part 4: Plants in Your Biodome (for Biodomes unit, Lesson 4) 1.Instruct students to sit together with the members of their engineering design teams. 2.Discuss basic plant needs with the students (food, water and energy from the sun). 3.Have students place soil, sand, rocks, ponds, or earth features into their biodomes, according to their designs. 4.Next, have students plant several seeds in the soil of their biodomes. 5.Remind students to record in their workbooks what they are adding to their biodomes. 6.Next, have students water their biodome and seal it up tightly. 7.Ask students to review their food chain drawings and the plants they placed inside their biodomes. Will these plants support their food chains? If not, what changes will they need to make to their food chains? Tell them that engineers often have to make adjustments to their projects as they learn new information or change their materials (in this case, seeds) from their original design.

67. Part 5: Animals in Your Biodome (for Biodomes unit, Lesson 5) Instruct students to sit together with the members of their engineering design teams. In their workbooks, have student record observations of what happened to their biodome since they last added something. Inform the students that today they will collect animals from outdoors to place into their biodomes. Before they go outside to collect the animals, they need to plan what kind of animals they can have inside. Make a list on the board of possible animals (insects) that the students may find to put in their biodome. (Ideas: grasshoppers, crickets, snails, ants, flies, moths, box elder bugs, June bugs, water bugs. Worms will be added in the decomposition activity, Part 6.) Also make a list of food sources that those animals require. Ask the students what kinds of problems they might have in picking which animals to put inside the biodome. Explain that they do not want the animals to be eaten by the other animals in the biodome. If this happens, all the animals would die once their food source is gone. Also explain that engineers are often limited by the materials that are available to them. In this case, the students are limited to the animals they can find outside their classroom, mostly insects. After giving instructions on outdoor policies, give the students some time go outside with nets and jars to collect insects for their biodomes. Returning to class, ask the students to place their insects/animals into their biodomes and observe what they see. Have students add water, if needed, to their biodome and seal it up tightly.

68. Part 6: Decomposers in Your Biodome (for Biodomes unit, Lesson 6) Instruct students to sit together with the members of their engineering design teams. In their workbooks, have student record observations of what happened to their biodome since they last added something. Inform the students that today they will collect worms from outdoors to place into their biodomes. The worms help to break down animal and plant wastes into more useful soil and nutrients. Ask the students what kind of problems they see with putting animals and plants into a biodome. Lead them to realize that it is very difficult for humans to make a safe atmosphere for all the different types of plants and animals and that often some of the plants and animals die in their new locations. While the idea of biodomes is a very popular one, there have not been many successes. Engineers work with biologists and other scientists to try their best to design environments in which the animals can live as if they were in nature. After giving instructions on outdoor policies, give the students some time to go outside to with jars or paper cups to collect worms for their biodomes. Returning to class, ask the students to place their worms into their biodomes and observe what they see. Have students add water, if needed, to their biodome and seal it up tightly. Part 7: Review & Evaluation (after completion of the model biodomes) Instruct students to sit together with the members of their engineering design teams. In their workbooks, have student record observations of what happened to their biodome since they last added something. Have them answer the review and evaluation questions in their workbooks. Exhibit the completed model biodomes, along with the completed team workbooks in the school library, display cases or at parents' night.

80. KEY