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Stone, Sally F.Illinois Natural Heritage Conservation/Education KitIV. Special Theme: Wetland Ecology and Management.Illinois State. Board of Education, Springfield.;Illinois State Dept. of Conservation, Springfield.Mar 8466p.; For other titles in this series, see SE 044715-717.Department of Conservation, Foreat Resources andNational Heritage, 605 Stratton Office Building,Springfield, IL 62706.Guides - Classroom User Guides (For Teachers) (052)

MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.*Animals; Conservation (Environment); *ConservationEducation; *Ecology; Elementary Secondary Education;Endangered Species; *Learning Activities; Plantidentification.; Science Education; *Water Resources;*Wildlife

IDENTIFIERS *Illinois; Plants (Botany)

ABSTRACTThis instructional guide contains 19 activities and

exercinses designed to help teachers familiarize their students withthe wetland resources of Illinois. Each activity or exercise is readyto be copied and given to students. They include: (1) making alargemouth bass model; (2.) building a wetland ecosystem; (3)investigating, problems that threaten wetlands; (4) working as awetland manager; (5) visiting a wetland area; and (6). examining afictional account taken from the journal of a young boy living andwriting in modern day Illinois. The latter is recommended for allstudents because it provides a broad overview of Illinois' wetlandheritage.'Although the materials are 'probably best suited forstudents in grades 4-8, most of the activities can easily be adjusted

. to match the skill level of nearly every primary and secondary grade.A recommended list of appropriate exercises and portionsofexercises/activities"for grades K-12 and instructional strategies areincluded. (JN)

(1

***********************************************************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are' the best that can be made

* from the original document.**************************************A********************************

II/

Special Theme: Wetland Ecology and Management

ILLINOIS NATURAL HERITAGE.3

Ili.fx,-,CONSERVATION EDUCATION KIT IV

,.:..,20,,,m,,,,,,i

,-----

j,. Illinois Department of Illinois State Board of Education 524 South Second Street Springfield, Illinois 62706N --

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER IERICI

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationriginating it

Minor changes. have been made to improvereproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in this docu-ment do not necessarily represent official NIEposition or policy.

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS .

MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

ILLINOISNATURALHERITAGEConservationEducation Kit IV

About this Educational Kit:Wetland Ecology and Management is the special themeof this Kit. The nineteen exercises and activitiesincluded in this Kit are designed to help teachersfamiliarize their students with the wetland resources ofIllinois. Although the materials are probably best suitedfor students in grades 4-8, most of the exercises can beeasily adjusted to match the skill level of nearly everyprimary and secondary grade.

Natural ,feritage Month:As Natural Heritage Month in Illinois, April presentsitself as a good time for teachers to use the contents ofthis Kit. Natural Heritage Month includes theobservances of Earth Day (usually the third Tuesday),Arbor and Bird Day (the last Friday) and BirdAppreciation Week (the last week). Though the .

activities and exercises in this Kit can be used inrelation to these special days in April, the materials arealways topical and can be used at any time of the year.

Clean Streams Month:May is Clean Streams Month in Illinois. The theme forthis special month is "take'action for clean water."Since this Kit emphasizes water resources, its activitiesand exercises can be helpful to teachers undertakingspecial projects during May. For more informationabout Clean Streams Month, teachers can contact theOffice of Public Participation, Illinois EnvironmentalProtection Agency, 2200 Churchill Rd., Springfield, IL62706, (217) 782-3397.

Giant Wetland Coloring Page:A special feature of this Kit is the inclusion of awetland coloring page which features 3,1 native Illinoisplants and animals. The coloring page serves as animportant visuaf reference for students as theycomplete exercises in the instructional guide.

Building a Wetland Ecosystem:Students are given the opportunity in this Kit to buildtheir own wetland ecosystem by cutting out theplant and animal species as presented on pages 18-48

, of the instructional guide. Students can then place theplants and animals together to build a wetlandecosystem. Students can arrange the features of theecosystem as they please or they can follow the GiantWetland Coloring Page as a guide. Students are alsoasked to cut out and label the children drawn inChapter 12 as representatives of themselves. They can

place the children in the ecosystems they build toaffirm their role as the caretakers of Illinois' wetlands.

,Step into, the WildA special "Step into the Wild" achievement couponappears at the top of nineteen exercises in this Kit.Students who complete those exercises are asked tocut out the coupons and paste them.onto the WetlandChallenge Page (3). Btudents wtio_send in at least onecoupon on their Wetland Challeng-e'Rages to. theIllinois Department of ConServation at the addressshown below will receive a conservation button entitled."Step Into the Wild" and featuring the fiver otter. Tospeed mailing, teachers are asked to gather Challengecages and send them in together as classrooM sets.

Let usliear from YouTeachers and resource interpreters who use this Kit areasked to please, complete the Teacher Questionnaireincluded in this Kit. Since this Kit Ss the fourth in a fivepart series of conservation /education Kits, th9.comments and suggestions we receive from the teacherquestionnaires will be very helpful as we prepare theremaining Kit. Please help us make these educatiogalmaterials useful and interesting by completing thequestionnaire and mailing it to the address below.Please use the flip side of the teacher questionnaire toorder more conservation/education materials from theDepartment of Conservation. We would like to call yourattention to the fact that we will send a classroom setof the Giant Wetland Coloring Page to any Illinoisteacher or resource interpreter.

IllinoisDepartment ofConservationlife and land together

Communications ProgramDivision of Forest Resourcesand Natural HeritageLincoln Tower Plaza -524 South Second StreetSpringfield, Illinois 62706

This Illinois Natural Heritage Conservation EducationKit was prepared by THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONOF YOUNG NATURALISTS for the Illinois Departmentof Conservation. The project is also sponsored by theIllinois State Board of Education and approved by theIllinois Advisory Board of Conservation Education.

@IllinoisDepartment ofConservationDivision of Forest Resourcesand Natural Heritage

This Kit is endorsed by the following organizations as avaluable program for teachers and students'seeking tolearn more about Illinois' wetland heritage. Teachers areencouraged to write to each of these organizations toobtain more useful conservation education materials.

NationalAudubonSociety950 Third Avenue p,1

New York, NY 10022

Text: Sally F. Stone, National Association of Youngfnlaturalists, 5300 S. Shore Dr. #107 Chicago, Illinois60615

Illustration: Heidi Johanna Selig, 70 Pearl St. #1-401Brookline, MA 02146

Design: Caroline Saltonstall and Sandra Carney,LINEWORK, 11 Devereaux St. Arlington, MA 02174

Production Coordinator:. Melissa Murphy, IllinoisDepartment of ConservationTechnical Editors from the Illinois Department ofConservation: Carl N. Becker, Carol J. Mahan,. VernonM. Kleen, William E. McClain, John Schwegman, JimAllen and Gregg TichacekDistribution: Don Roderick, Illinois State Board ofEducation, Baibara Hohimer, Goodwill Industries,Springfield, IllinoisTypist: Mary Miller

SPECIAL NOTE: This Kit is the fourth in a five partseries. Kit V, featuring "Special Habitats Ecology andManagement," will be available in the spring of 1985.Due to high demand, teachers should send an advanceorder for Kit V to the address on page 1 as soon aspossible.

'Copyright c 1984Sally F. StoneHeidi J. SeligAll rights reserved.

2

' EnvironmentalEducation Association

---Ekl of Illinois7600 Appleton Rd., Belvidere, IL 61008

ILLINOIS-clepartment-of

Illinois State F irgrounds, Springfield, Illinois 62706

IllinoisEnvironmentalProtection - Agency

2200 Churchill Rd.Springfield, IL 62706

Illinois State

410Board of Education100 N.First St.. Springfield. IL 62777

Illinois I Council

4071/2 East Adams St., Springfield. IL 62701

Printed by the authority of the State of IllinoisMarch, 1984 20M P.O. 40476

A WetlandChallengeDear Student:

We invite you to a Wetland Challenge. There are 19exercisesin this Kit that bear a special WetlandAchievement Coupon. We challenge you to completeas many of these exercises as you can. For everyexercise you complete, cut out the-AchlevementCoupon and paste it onto' one of the circles shown onthe Wetland Challenge Page. Then mail your page tothe Illinois Department of Conservation. If you have atleast one coupon on your page, we will send you thespecial conservation button "Step Into the 'Wild."

As you work to meet this challenge, remember that youare,working with one of Illinois' most preciousresources, her wetlands. These wetlands are the naturalhomes of many beautiful plants and animals and theyprovide all Illinoisans with an-opportunity, to boat,swim, fish, hunt and observe nature. And don't forget,

---our-Wetlands-are-the-holding-tankslor oneorotir-rnb'stimportant assets - WATER.

This challenge will not be an easy one and you willhave to work hard to succeed. For your fir st

assignment, youIllinoisan namedyour own wetl,'plants anrc

Next yoconductwetlancproble'to answer .do to help c

will read the journal of a youngJason. You will also be asked to build

ecosystem, complete with over 60

3 use your spy talents as youleuthwork investigation. Then as aiu will have to examine the

our wetlands. And you havequestions about what we can all

valuable wetlands.

There is one im, thing we want you to keep inmind as you con 'he exercises in this Kit. Eventhough you will be, cL, ,pleting most of these exercisesin your classroom and writing your answers down onpaper, that doesn' mean that your hard work is. onlypractice. Each tim ,- you learn something new, about ourwetlands, you are ,-toing something.very real andvaluable. And wtt.ti you share what you have learnedabout wetlands 'others. you are making a concretecontribution to co-.:1;r-ving our wetlands. For you see,the mote we know abrArif wetlands the more we can doto preserve them. That is what this special kit is allabout. So get working and GOOD LUCK!

Sincerely,

David Kenney I

DirectorIllinois Department of Conservation

Journalof .lason

LargemouthBass Model

/Plantsand Animalsin Wetlands

BuildingA WetlandEcosystem

Types ofWetlands

WetlandBottom

WetlandInvertebrates

Role of Peoplein Wetlands

WetlandFishes

WetlandAmphibiansand Reptiles

WetlandMammals

WetlandSleuthwork

WetlandsAre Valuable

The Problemsof Wetlands

. .

WetlandColoring Page

Background Information for each exercise as a class. individual students, or groups

Teachers of students, should be able, however, to cut put the .

plants and animals in the Field Guides to build theirContent own ecosystems.). Building A Wetland Ecosystem..This Kit features wetland ecology and management. Types of Wetlands. Kinds of Plants and Animals inFor the puiposes of this Kit, we have broadened the Illinois Wetlands. The Wetland Bottom. Wetland Herbs.scope of the term wetland to include all natural water Wetland Inverteorates. Wetland Amphibians andhabitats, including streams, lakes and ponds. More Reptiles. (Work Steps 1 and 4.) Wetland Birds. Wetlandcommonly, wetlands refer to shallow water habitats. Mammals. (Work Steps 1 and 4.).The Role of People insuch as marshes and swamps. Also in order to.simplify Wetlands. (Work Step 1.) Weiland Sleuthwork.the materials for students, we have taken the liberty to (Teachers may choose to use only Portions of:distinguish rivers from streams. Normally, the term Sleuthwork and/or adapt strategies.) Wetlan.ds Arestream is used to describe all moving water systems Valuable.larger than creeks and brooks. Since space is limited inthis Kit, we have focused on the most common types of Grades 4-6 - All exercises, inpluding the fish model.

wetlands in. Illinois: rivers, streams,lakes, ponds, Grades 7-9 - All exercises, including the fish model.marshes and swamps. We recommend teachers also Grades 9 -12.- All exercises, especially the managementdiscuss the less coninion types of wetlands, including exercises on pages 52 through 59. To maximize thewet meadows and prairies, sloughs, bogs, fens, seeps challenge of this work for older students, teachers canand springs. We have used the swamp ecosystem to ask students to follow an alternate strategy forfamiliarize students with forested wetlands but we completing the word pictures. Instead of asking the

recommend -a-bfief-disoussion-of-floodplain±lrests_as------'--student-to %copy -the-eltre-and-nurn-bered-seRteReesoatowell. the blank lines in the word pictures, ask the student to

fill in the blank lines with his or her own statement. Inother words, ask the student to develop his or her ownexplanation to approximate the meaning of each clueor numbered sentence.Special Instructions For ExerciSesGiant Wetland Coloring Page: Students can refer topages 18-48 for clues about the coloration of plants andanimals included on the Page. One Coloring Page isenclosed in this Kit. Classroom sets of the Page can beordered by completing the Teacher Questionnaire..included in this Kit.Wetland Challenge Page: (Page 3) Teachers are askedto please send Challenge Pages as classroom sets to .

the Department of Conservation at the address shownon Page 1 of the instructional guide.Journal of Jason: (Pages 8 -14) This journal is thefictional account takenfrom a young boy living andwriting in modern day Illinois. This exercise isrecommended for every student using the Kit becauseit provides a-broad overview of Illinois' wetlandheritage. The journal also introduces students throughthe eyes, spirit and fascination of someone their ownage to the wonders of a wetland ecosystem. To tie thejournal even more closely to the student's ownexperience, the journal is based on one that is beingcompleted as an exercise of this Kit. By working on thejournal, the student can share this Kit with the fictionalyoungSter, Jason. We recommend completion of theJournal's questions in the same order that Jason isgiven them by his teacher. tr .

Largemouth Baas Model: (Pages 6-71 This model is easy

The following.is a recommended list of appropriate to put together and the result is a remarkably accurateexercises and portions of exercises for grades K-12. It model of a largemouth bass. The entire pattern pageis only a suggested list. We,realize teachers will best be Should be glued to construction paper before cut-out.able to access the suitability of exercises for Their All coloring should be done-before cutting and gluing.students. Use white glue instead of paste. We recommend

Kindergarten-3rd Grade - Giant Wetland COloring Page.'hanging the model by a string.

Wetland Challenge Page. Journal of Jason. (for Building a Wetland Ecosystem: (Chapter 1-12 on pagesChapters'1-12, teachers can adapt the exercises to 15-51) Through theAndividual chapters in this section:make the work 'easier for younger students. We the student is introduced to the ecology of wetlandrecommend reading and completing the Work Steps for ecosystems. The entire section is organized

4 6

Philosophy..The philosophy behind the development of this Kit isthat understanding. leads to appreciation. In terms ofconservation education, we believe that exercisesexpressing a need for responsible management ofnatural resources are not enough to instill a sense ofthat responsibility in each child. Instead, we contendthe child must first develop a personal relationship withour natural resources. That relationShip can be built byhelping the child understand the ecology ofecosystems. That understanding can give the child a'sense of mastery as.well as a feeling of investment inour natural resources. Once that bond is established,the child can be introduced to his or her role as acaretaker of natural resources. We believe the child willthen, develop a deeper appreciation of that role becausehis or her understanding of natural resources will haveled him or her to feel a personal stake in theirconservation. For, those reasons; this Kit is divided intotwo parts: The first part is devoted to teaching the childabout wetland ecology; the second part deals with themanagement of wetlands and emphasizes the

' individual's responsibility for that management:

FormatThii Kit is designed to be a series ofbuild-it-yourselfexercises. In each exercise, the student is asked to putinformation together with illustrations to build thetheme(s) of the exercise. Each exercise is ready to be =,copied and, given to students. !n addition, theinstructions for each exercise speak directly to thestLident.

Grade Level Appropriateness

6

thematically on the basis of the eleven Ouesilons AboutWetland Ecosystems In Chapter 1. By matching theclues in front of those questions with the same clues inChapters 2-11, the student will be able to answer thosequestions. The intended result is that the student willlearn how a wetland ecosystem functions while workingwith the componenti (herbs, woody plants, fish, birds,etc.) of the ecosystem. But the student's work shouldnot stop there. It is our intention to stress therelationship of people with wetland ecosystems. Thestudent first works with that relationship in Chapter 12.Within that Chapter, the student learns that we have aresponsibility for the weir-being of wetlands becausewe are the land-use decision makers in Illinois. Thestudent is then given 10 land-use decisions that peoplehave made in regard to welt:nds. Next the studentmatches the clue before each decision with the sameclues in Chapters 2-11. Th0 intended result is that thestudent will learn how our decisions affect wetlandsbased upon. the information he or she has compiled tocomplete Chapters 1-11. Drawn below is a diagram ofthe thematic organization of the entire section.

WETLANDS ARE VALUABLE, PROBLEMS THATTHREATEN WETLANDS, WORKING AS A WETLANDMANAGER. (Chapers 13-15 on pages 52 -59) TheseChapters constitute the management portion, of the Kit.Chapter 12 (pages 49-51) serves as a link between theecology portion (Chapters 1-11) and the management

,portion. Sirice these management Chapters build uponeach other, they should be completed in the order theyappear. Drawn-below is a drawing of,.the thematicscheme of this portion of the Kit as well as the tiebetween it and the ecology portion of the Kit.

Problemsthat

threatenWetlands

Chapter 14

Question-Themes

aboutWetland

EcosystemsChapter 1

WetlandsAre

ValuableReasons 1-6Chapter 13

Once students have completed Chapters 1-12, they aregiven the optior4-to cut out all of the plants and animalsin the Field Guides to arrange and build their ownwetland ecosystems. They are also asked to cut out thechildien drawn in Chapter 12 and place the children asrepresentatives of themselves in their ecosystems. Theycan then color the ecosystems. Instructions for thiscomponent are included in Work Sted#3 of Chapter 2.

Working \M A

WetlandManager

Chapter 15.

Wetland Sleuthwork: (Pages 60-64) This is the outdooractivity a the Kit. The exercise is designed to work inany type of wetland. For best results, .the studentsshould be encouraged to use the work they havecompleted in Chapters 1-11, especially the plant andanimal Field Guides, to conduct their sleuthwork.Teachers are asked*to use every precaution toprotect the natural habitat of the wetland the classinvestigates. Also, please be sure to obtain thepermission of the landowner before visiting a wetland.The Wetland Sleuthwork Certification Card for eachchild who completed the exercise is shown below.

This card officially certifies

as an Illinois Wetland Sleuth.

bate:

Presented by the Illinois Department of Conservation

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Journal of Jason

Dear Journal: April 18, 1984Today in school, our teacher, Mr. Weinman, gaveus a very special workbook. It's called the "IllinoisNatural Heritage Conservation Ed0Cation Kit IV."This Kit is all about the wetlands of Illinois. If wecan complete the assignments in the Kit, theIllinois Department of Conservation will sendeach of us a really terrific button called "STEPINTO THE WILD". There is a picture of a riverotter on the button, and I can't wait to startworking to get my button.

The first part of my assignment is to answer thesequestions:

1. What are wetlands?

2. How were wetlands formed? ,

3. How many acres of wetlands were in Illinoiswhen it was settled?

4. How many acres of wetlands are in Illinoisnow?

5. Why are there less wetlands now than whenIllinois was settled? ,

Mr. Weinman said we should interview someoneto find the answers. I'm really excited because Iknow just who.to ask. Tomorrow is the beginningof our spring vacation, and I'm going down to themarsh by the river with a pencil and you, Journal.

8

Dear Journal: April 19, 1984Today was a great day. Mom and dad woke meup at 5:30 this morning. I was kinda sleepy, but Iknew I had to get to the marsh early to catch him.I hopped -,on my bike and rode down the old riverroad. When I reached the marsh, I hid my bikebehind an "old cottonwood tree and walked downthe le'vee road that runs down the middle of themarsh. To tell you the. truth, Journal, I was kindascared: It was still fairly dark and so quiet. I tooka deep breath, clutched my binoculars, and keptwalking. And then, Journal, I stopped dead in mytracks. "Oh, my'gosh, what is that?" I thought.

A great big blue-gray animal was on the levee infront of me. It was tall and slender, and it walkedon long, yellow legs. And its neck, oh, Journal, itsneck was long like a giraffe's. Its beak wad alsoreal long and pointed. Its beak looked like a.yellow dagger. The animal was walking verydelicately, looking around slowly. And then,Journal, it saw me. We were face to face. Timeseemed to stop. I was shivering. What was goingto happen?

It moved first. It started running. Scared to pieces,I hit the ground belly first Then it spread its

'wings and-look to the air. It made a quiCk circleabove me and headed in the direction of the river.I tell you, Journal, all I could do was lie there,quaking in my tennis shoes.

10

Then something happened that made me wish I'dnever left my cozy bed. All of a sudden, a greatbig hand came down and squeezed my shoulder.Just before I closed MY eyes to pretend I washaving a bad dream, I saw a gigantic boot stepdown in the mud beside my face.

"There's no need to be afraid, my little friend," avoice said. "That was one of the most beautifulbirds in all of nature. No, Jason, the.great blueheron would never harm you. That big ole bird isour friend."

Journal, When the booted person said my name, Ibreathed a sigh of relief. I looked up and there hewas - the very person I had come to see. Therewas my Uncle Duck. Everybody has always calledhim Duck because he spends so much time downhere along the river with the ducks. Now I knowhe's also been spending some time with afantastic bird called the.great blue heron.

I jumped right up and ga\/e him a big hug. Then Istarted blasting questions at him. "Tell me aboutthe wetlands. What are they like? What animalslive in them?"

"Whoa," my Uncle Duck said, "Slowdown there aminute, and I'll tell you everything you want toknow."

We walked ove to a big, fallen tree lying on thelevee and sat dawn. My uncle was sipping coffeefrom a cup; the sun was coming up, and the quietworld of the marsh was exploding with sounds ofsinging birds. I bgan to believe my mission wasgoing to be successful.

I showed my uncle my questions and he startedtalking in his slow, quiet way. "Well, Jason, I'vespent a lot, of my life in wetlands and I know justwhat they are like. A wetland is any place wherethere is both water and land. A wetland can be ariveF, stream, lake, pond, swamp, or a marsh, likethe one 'we are iri now. It's very simple., Jason. Ifyou're out in the country, and you get your feetwet, you're probably at the edge of a wetland.

"Wetlands got started in a very interesting way,"my uncle said next. "About 10 or 12 thousandyears ago, much of what we now call Illinois wascovered by gigantic sheets of ice called glaciers.And, as you might imagine, the weather here wasvery cold. But then, Jason, the weather started towarm up. The glaciers started to melt and breakup. Chunks of the glaciers settled into low-lyingvalleys. When the chunks melted, the water filledup the valleys to form lakes and marshes. Whenall of the glaciers melted, there was a tremendousamount of water racing down the state toward theocean. This water cut the channels of our rivers.When it was all over, Illinois had-ten million acres

of lakes, marshes, and swamps. We had also ourgreat rivers, like the Mississippi and Illinois."

Then, Journal, I asked Uncle Duck if we still haveall of those wetlands. He kinda frowned and said,"No, Jason, we don't. We only have about 10percent of our wetlands left."

"But what happened to our wetlands, UncleDuck?" "Where did they go?"

"Most have been drained and cleared away,young man," he said. "You see, when NativeAmericans lived here, they hunted and fished inthe wetlands and they-were pleased with themjust as they were. So they left them alone in theirnatural condition. But when our ancestors cameto Illinois, they took one look at the wetlands andthought 'wasteland.'

"You see, Jason, the settlers wanted to farm theland. They needed crops to feed their families.They saw the wetlandi as wastelands Ittecausethey could not produce crops on them. Thosefolks were of a determined mind,, and nothingcould stop them from clearing the land. No,Jason, nothing could stand up to those people -not even the blood thirsty mosquitos in themarshes or the tough old trees in the swamps.Acre by acre, they drained and cleared most ofour wetlands. As the settlers harnessed the land,they drove the Native Americans away from theirhome in Illinois. Today, our state is rich withfarmland that hF..ips feed people all over the world.But I tell you,°Jason, a mighty big price has beenpaid for that accomplishment.

"Of course, farmland is not the only reason whyso many of our wetlands have been destroyed. Asour state has grown, weave drained and cleared'our wet areas to make room for cities, roads,shopping centers, houses and schools. Our state.,has just about burst. its buttons over the last 200years, and something has.had to give. In mostcases, Jason, it's been our natural land our

11

0.

Nprairies, forests and wetlands that have beengiven up to meet the growing needs of ourpeople."

Now, Journal, isn't that some kind of story? Icouldn't believe how much my uncle knew aboutwetlands. I asked him to help me answer thequestions in Part II of my assignment, but he justshook his head. "I've talked aboul enough for onemorning. Now I'm going to take my canoe outinto the marsh. But I tell you what Jason, if youcome back tomorrow you can go'with me."

Dear Journal: April 20, 1984Today was the best day of my life. Here's whathappened. I met Uncle Duck early this morningunder the old cottonwood tree. The first thing Idid was show him these questions from Part ll ofmy assignment:.

Part II

1. What.do we mean by the term "wetlandhabitat"?

2. What do we mean by the term "wetlandecosystem"?

3. What kinds of plants live in wetlands?

4. What kinds of animals live in wetlands?

5. How do animals get food in wetlands?-

My uncle looked at' the questions and said,"Come on, Jason,' let's climb into the canoe. Youjust keep your eyes and ears open, and I betyou'll be able to answer those questions whenyou get home tonight."

Well, Journal, we took off in the canoe, me infront and Uncle Duck in the back. We weremaking pretty good headway, but our paddleskept hittingthe green plants in the water. I sawone plant that had round, floating leaves. "Hey,Uncle Duck," I said, "I bet that is a lily pad thekind that frogs sit on."

"That's pi:etty.good, Jason. Let's take a closerlo6k." Uncle Duck paddled over to the plant I sawand we leaned over to study. it. Uncle Duckcupped i leaf in his hand. "This is the leaf of aplant called American lotus. It belongs to thewater lily family and is very common in marshes,shallow lakes, and ponds. Then. Uncle Ducktouched a yellow flower floating next to the leaf."This," he said, "is the beautiful flower of thelotus." Then Uncle Duck reached into the waterand showed me the green stem of the lotus."Well, whatdo you know," said Uncle Duck; "hereis a little pond snail on the stern. Did you know,

10

Sason, that this tiny little snail has a specialtongue that is grooved just likea file that youwould use to sharpen a saw? The snail moves histongue back and forth over the stem of a plantand shreds off tiny bits of food for itself. The snailhas to work. awfully hard, but it seldom goes

_ hungry."

"Look Uncle Duck, there's an insect." I yelled as Ipointed to the water "It's got long legs and it'sactually walking on the water. And look, it'schasing a black beetle. Wow! It just tackled thebeetle. That beetle is just about as big as it is,"

"That was a crawling water beetle, Jason. And thelong-legged critter that captured the'beetle was awater strider."

.---"'

) .---...

v/_..../.-,

--"- ------- --Z--'.

22) ) ) \----'" j)--------...,, _/

1 iThen, Journal, I looked down-to take my last lookat the water strider and beetle, and you'll neverguess what happened. All of a sudden, a bigmouth came out ofrthe water and swa4owed themboth. Then there was the flip of a tail and nothingwas left but the waves on the water. "Did you seethat, Duck?" I gasped.

"I sure did. That was the tidy work of one of myfavorite'fisla,es, the largemouth bass. I've watchedthat critter catch a bunch of animals. I've eyedseen it snatch\a northern cricket frog in mid-air asit was leaping from one lily pad to another. Butyou know what, Jason, the bass isn't always thecaptor. It gets caught by other animals. Hey, lookup there, and you might be able to see what Imean."

12

e

Then, Journal, I looked up at the sky and saw amost art-azing thing. A big, white bird streakedwith black was flying high, looking down at thewater. The bird passed for a moment and thendove feet first. Its talons struck the water with abig splash and then it rose back into the air. Arloguess what, Journal, it had a largemouth bass inits,talons. I wondered if it was a largemouth basswith a water strider and crawling water beetle inits belly!:

"That magnificent bird was an osprey," sai4myUncle. Ducl.

"But, Uncle Duck, do you feel bad that it justkilled one of your favorite fishes?" I asked.

"No, Jason. I don't. You see, the osprey will takethe fish back to its perch and eat it ',for breakfast,All of the animals in the marsh need food tosurvive. Just think about what we've seen thismorning. We saw a little pond snail feeding on thestem of an American lotus; then we saw a waterstrider feed on a crawling water beetle. The waterstrider and beetle were snatched by a bass, andthen we saw a bass scooped out of the water byan osprey.

It works like this, Jason. Plants use the sunshineand water to grow. Then the animals that eatplant food, like the little pond snail, feed on thoseplants. Other animals, like the water strider andlargemouth bass, eat meat. They feed on eachother.So you see, that's how food flows throughthe wetland. Think of the whole process in yourmind as being a giant web. Plants are in themiddle of the web, and animals are arranged allaround them. When an animal feeds on a plant, aline is spun from that animal to the plant. Andwhen an animal feeds on another animal, anotherline is spun between those two animals. As manydifferent animals feed on each other, many linesare spun back and forth until a big web is formed..Food flows through the wetland through the linesof-the food web.

So you see? that's why I don't feel sorry that theosprey caught the bass. For the food web towork, some animals have to die so other animalscan live. That's just the nature of things andthere's no cruelty about it...Besides, there areplenty more bass in this big ole marsh."

"You know, Duck, that sounds pretty neat," I said."I know now that plants and animals need foodand how they get it. But they must also need ahOme, just like the home I live in."

"You're absolutely right, Jason, plants andanimals do need a home. The marsh is theirhome. Only we don't call it that; we call it theirwetland habitat: Let's paddle over to that bankand explore another area of the wetland habitat."

Once we arrived at the bank, my uncle said,-"Canyou see any differences between the plants yousee standing along the bank and the plants yousaw in the water?"

"I certainly can, thicle Duck. Those plants alongthe bank are trees and shrubs. Look, there is acottonwoold, and over there is a silver maple. Andthat shrub on the bank is called a button bush. Ican tell the button bush by its ball-like fruit. Itlooks just like a sound button. I know all abouttrees and shrubs, Uncle Duck. We studied them inschoorwhen we worked on the CoDservation KitII. That Kit was all about the f6fesfs of Illinois."

"I can see that you do know a lot about trees and,ahrubs, Jason.ym Tmpressed._And since you -know so much, you must also know that trees and-shrubs have woody tissue in their trunks andlimbs. That is why they are called woody plants.On the other hand, the water plants, like theAmerican lotus, do not have woody tissue. Theirstems are soft and flexible. These nonwoodywater plants are called herbaceous plants. You -

can call them herbs for short. So you see, thereare two major kinds of plants in wetlands, theherbs and the woody plants.

13;

z

"Now Jason, I think it's time for us to turn back.Have you learned everything you need to know?"

"Yes, all except for one thing. I still don't knowwhat the term 'wetland ecosystem' means."

"Well Jason, that is simple. Think about everyplant and animal you have seen today. Not one ofthose plants or animals lives completely on itsown. You see, all of the plants and animals livehere in the marsh together. They all share thespace and food of the marsh. In 'fact, they dependupon each other for survival. We saw an exampleof that when we saw the osprey catch thelargempth bass for food. And remember whenwe dpew up the food web in our minds? That webwa like a system of how the plants and animalsdepend upon each other for food. That's hoyv youcan define a 'wetland ecosystem', Jason. It's asystem. of plants and animals living together anddepending upon each other in a wetland habitat.What do you say we pi.111 the canoe over here andgo get us our lunch?"

Dear Journal: April 21, 1984I've got some heavy thinking to do. I'm 'reallyworried about our wetlands and I need to decidewhat I can do to help conserve them. Journal, thisis why I'm worried.

I met Uncle Duck down at the marsh again thismorning and showed him Part 3 of myassignment: These are the questions:

1. What are some of the problems that threatenthe well-being of our wetlands?

2. Are wetlands valuable?

3. What effects do these problems have on ourwetlands?

4. What can we do to help solve theseproblems?

5. What is going to happen to our wetlands inthe future?

Uncle Duck took a look at the questions and said'Jason, we've got some serious talking to do.Let's talk while we walk."

So then, Journal, we started walking down thelevee road through the marsh. I had a feeling wewere going to end up at the river. I noticed thaton both sides of us the cattails were growing inthick sands. So I said to Duck, "I bet thosecattails are good hiding places for animals."

"Let's just check that bet out, Jason," he said."See that stand of cattails right up there on yourright? Let's sneak up on it and take a peak."

12

We did sneak up on the stand on our tip toes.Then just before we got to it, Duck said softly,"What do you see, Jason?"

I took a look, shook my head, and said "Nothing,except for theicattails."

"Is that so," whispered Uncle Duck. "Look again,and this ime, look through your binoculars."

Oh', and Journal, I did look through .mybinoculars, and I saw an animal hiding in thecattails. It was a bird and it wasn't moving amuscle. Its slender neck and bill were:pointedstraight up at the sky. It had rusty-colored streaksrunning up and down its chest. Sitting there likethat, it looked just likel bunch of cattail stems.That's why t hadn't seen it at first. It wascamouflaged.

"What bird is that?" I asked Duck. "I've never seenit before. ".

"That bird is an American bittern, Jason. Whensummer rolls around, the-bittern will build its nestin the cattails. Then it will use its specialcamouflage to protect itself and its eggs andyoung.

"Unfortunately, the-bittern is an-endangeredspecies in Illinois. That means it is in big trouble.If things get worse for the bittern, it couldbecome extinct in Illinois. And look over there;Jason, do you see that black bird swimming onthe water surface? Can, you see its scarlet bill?That's a common moorhen. That pretty bird isdoing a little better than the bittern, but it is alsoin trouble. The moorhen is threatenedin Illinois.That means that if its troubles continue, it maybecome endangered!"

"But Uncle Duck' I said '.'what kind of troubleare these animals in?"

1.4

"Well, Jason, it's-like-this.11Netlands_like_tbismarsh provide an habitat for animals that need tolive in them. That's one of the reasons whywetlands are so valuable. Wetlands give plantsand animals a habitat where they can find foodand shelter. Without a wetland habitat, the plantsand animals cannot survive. So, if the habitat is in.trouble, the plants and animals are in trouble."

"Oh I get it," I said, "if a wetland is threatened byproblems, the plants and animals becomethreatened by the same problems. t guess I betterfind out about the problems that threatenwetlands. Can you help me do that, Uncle Duck?'

"Yes, I think I can, Jason. For starters, look, overthere at the, side of the marsh that is on the left ofthis road. You see, I don't own that side of themarsh. Another person, named Mr. Jones, ownsthat side. And do you hear that pumping sound?That sound is coming from a pump hidden behindthose trees. Mr. Jones wants to turn, his marshinto cropland, so he is pumping ttwater out ofhis side of the marsh and into the river. Also; Mr.Jones wants to build a big leyee along the river.That levee would keep the water in the river fromflowing into the marsh. Pretty soon, Jason, themarsh would dry up and all of the plants andanimals that live here would either die or try tomove to a new_horne_._.Mo_st_wo.uktp_r_o_bably die.

"What I'm trying to explain, Jason, is that whenwe drain or clear wetlands, we destroy the habitatfor plants and animals. in fact, habitat destructionis one of the biggest problems threatening ourwetlands.

"And here's the evidence of another problem,Jason. See this pile of garbage in the water overhere? Someone has sneaked down here at nightand dumped a truck load of junk into the water.See these plastic holders in the garbage? Thoseare the kind of holders that they put on a six packof soda to hold the cans together. Sometimes,fish swim through the rings of the holders and getstuck in them. Then they die. It's against the law

to_dump_garbag.e_in_wellancii, Jsson_but_thereare a few people who just don't care about howtheir actions damage wetlands.

"It's also against the law to poach animals YesJsee, our hunting laws are set up to protectanimals. It's only legal to take certain species.called game animals. And it's only lawful to takethe legal limit during legal seasons. When folkscome down here and take more than the limit or,kill animals that aren't game species, they arereally hurting We population of those animals. Forinstance, American bitterns are having a hardtime surviving and when some of them are shot,their chances of survival.are all the more slim.Our state has wetland protection laws, but whenthose laws are violated, there are graveconsequences."

"That is so sad, Uncle Duck," I said. "I'rri going totell every one I knowto follow the law so ourwetlands will be clean and safe."

"Good for you, Jason. If everyone followed thelaw, our wetlands would have one, less problem.Now let's walk on down to the river."

Journal, wheh we got to the shore of the river, myUncle Duck said, "Look all around you, Jason.The Illinois River is one,of our most valuableassets. Can you think of some reasons why?"

"You bet I can Uncle Duck. I know that we usethe river to carry products up and down the'state.When our ancestors came to settle here in 1828,they traveled it a boat up this river from southernIllinois. And, here's alto/berthing, Duck. Last weekI came down here with my family and we wentboating, fishing and swimming. Then we had apicnic over by those trees. Plus, the river isvaluable to me right now because I am studying itto learn more about wetlands. It's like a livingmuseum."

"That is very good; my fiend," said Uncle Duck."Let's see if we can discs ver some more reasonsabout why wetlands, like this great river, are sovaluable.

"Jason, did you drink some water this morning?"

"Yes," I said.

"And what about last week," said Uncle Duck,"did you eat some of the fish you and your familycaught?"

"I sure did," I said, "they were delicious."

"Well, Jason, you just supplied us with two morereasons why wetlands are valuable. We get mostof our drinkingmater in this area out of the river.And we also get food. Wetlands pfovide people

1

13

with some of the food and water we. need tosurvive.

"It's not all rosy here on the river though, Jason.The river faces some tough problems. Just look atthe water; see how muddy it is? When it rains, therainwater cairies soll'aff the farmland and into theriver. That's why the .water is so muddy. The soilin the river is called silt. This silt is the numberone pollutant of our waterways in Illinois. Plus,when the silt builds"Up on the bottom, there' isless room for the wate..So when it rains, the riverfloods. Fortunately, some of the flood water istaken in by the marsh. That's another value Of

marshes and swamps. They act like sponges toabsorb flood water.

"And there's another problem with the silt in theriver. When the silt washes into the river, it iscarrying pesticides and fertilizers from thefarmland. These chemicals pollute the water and

sicken or kill plants and animals. And don't forget,those chemicals also endanger the water and

food supply of humans."

"By gosh, Duck. Those are big problems. What

can we do to help solve them?" I asked.

"There are two things, Jason. First, we need topractice good soil conservation practices on all

our lands. If we use those practices, we can holdthe soil in place and keep it from washing intoour wetlands. The second thing we can do is bevery careful about the amount and kinds ofpesticides and fertilizers we use: If we use morethan'we really need, the problem is only madeworse."

"Look, look, Uncle Duck, there goes a river otterswimming across the water. I know what it isbecause there's a picture of a river otter on the"Step Into the. Wild" button I'm going to earn if I

complete the Conservation Education Kit."

"Is that so? Well, Jason, I suggest you get to

work."

"Yes, I'm going to do just that, Duck. But there'sone more thing I need to know. What's going tohappen to our wetlands in the future?"

"Jason., I'm not sure I can answer that. It will alldepend upon how carefully we use our land inIllinois. Over my lifetime, the way we've treatedour land has really changed our wetlands. Why,when I was a boy, this marsh was packed full ofanimals. You could come down here and seehundreds of great blue herons nesting over inthose trees. Now a person is lucky to see oneheron."

14

"So when you ask about the future, I guess all I

can hope is that our wetlands don't change asmuch during your lifetime as they did duringmine. I really hope that when you are older, youcan share wetlands with your niece or nephew,just as I've shared them with you. I want that foryou, Jason, because our wetlands, just like ourforests and prairies, are part of our naturalheritage in Illinois. I believe. that all futuregenerations of Illinoiins should be able to enjoythat wonderful heritage.

"Well, Jason, I guess I've just about talkedenough. What do you think about the future.Jason?"'"I'm thinking a whole bunch of things, Duck. I'velearned so much these past few days. I learhedabout the great blue heron and the Americanbittern. ,I've learned that wetlands give us waterand food. But I think the most important thing I've

learned is that the future well -being of ourwetlands is every Illinoisan'sreiponsibility, andthat includes me. I'm going straight home and tryto decide what I can do to help conservewetlands. Thank you so much, Uncle.Duck, forteaching me about wetlands. You know what?When I get my "Step into the Wild" button, I'mgoing to give it to you."

"I'll feel very proud to wear that button, Jason."

Chapter 1Building An Ecosystem

Shown above is the Giant Coloring Page includedin this Kit. The entire scene is a wetlandecosystem. But what do we mean by the termwetland ecosystem? To understand that term, wecan start with the word wetland.

In the Coloring Page, there is land and water. Awetland is any place where there is both land andwater. Above a wetland is air. The combination ofair, land and water form the physical foundationof a wetland. The physical foundation provides ahome for the plants; and animals that live in thewetland. This home, just like the one you live in,provides a place for plants and animals to find'food and shelter. A plant or animal's home iscalled its habitat. That leads us to our first factabout wetland ecosystems.

1. The physical foundation of a wetlandecosystem provides a habitat for the plantsand animals that live there.

Now we can turn our attention to the wordecosystem. As you.can see in the Coloring Page,an ecosystem is a system of animals livingtogether. No one animal in the ecosystem cansurvive.by itself. For instance, in the ColoringPage ecosystem, a bluegill is catching a largewhirl-i-gig beetle. In turn, that bluegill abouttobe snatched up in the jaws of a commonsnapping turtle. Without the large whirl-i-gigbeetle as food, the bluegill could not survive, and

without the bluegill, the turtle would go hungry.And even though it may sound surprising, thewhirl-i-gig beetles in the wetland could notsurvive without the bludgill. If the bluegill andother animals did not prey on the beetles, thebeetle population would explode. Such anexplosion would cause a shortage of food andspace, and many beetles would die as a result.

Plants are also part of the system in a wetland.Like the.animals, no one plant can live completelyon its own. In the Coloring Page ecosystem, ared-tailed bumble bee is feeding on the pollen ofa white water lily. Of course, the bee is dependentupon the lily-for food 6-ut the lily is also

_dependent upon the bee. When the bee leaves thelily, it will be carrying some of the lily's pollen onits body hairs. As the bee feeds on another lily,some of the pollen from the first lily would rub offonto that lily. The pollen will then fertilize theeggs in the second lily, and the eggs will matureinto seeds that may someday grow into newplants. The relationship between the bee and lilyleads us to a second fact about wetlandecosystems.

2. Plants and animals live together in thewetland ecosystem in a state of mutualdependence.

Even though people do not live in wetlandecosystems, we have an important role to, play in

1 '715

them. Our role is that of caretaker. Each of us canhelp take care of wetlands bymaking responsibledecisions about how they are used and treated. InIllinois, we have the power to decide if ourwetlands are to be kept clean or polluted. And wedecide if wetlands are to be cleared or preserved.This leaas unto one last fact about wetlandecosystems.

3. People are responsible for the well-being ofwetland ecosystems because we makedecisions about how they are to be treatedand used.

16

Fact Package (FP)About Wetland Ecosystems

Fact 1.

Fact 2

Fact 3.

Work Step #1. Complete the FACT PACKAGEabove by filling in the blank lines of FACTS 1-3.To do so, match the number before each blankline with the same number in the information onpages-15 and 16. Then copy the feat that followseach number in the information onto the blanklines in the FACT PACKAGE.

Work Step #2. Now that you have completed thisfirst FACT PACKAGE, you have a basic ideaabout what a wetland ecosystem is, but there ismuch more to learn about a wetland ecosystem. Itis your assignment to learn more so you cananswer the questions below. Over the next elevenchapters, you will have a chance to do that. Afteryou have completed all of the chapters, return tothis page and answer the questions. To help youanswer the questions, you can use the circularclues drawn in front of each question. As youwork on each question, look for that clue in oneof the chapters. When you find that clue, you willknow that chapter holds the information you needfor the answer.

Work Step #3. In Chapters 5 -1.1, there are FIELDGUIDES of plants and animals. After you havecompleted all of the FIELD GUIDES, cut out eachof the plants and animals and arrange them on alarge piece of paper into a wetland ecosystem.You can use the Coloring Page to give you ideasabout placement. As you arrange your plants andanimals, be sure to draw in the physicalfoundation of the ecosystem such as the,air,water and, land. For your final step, cut out one ofthe children drawn in Chapter 12 on page 15.Since that child will represent you, write yourname on the blank line below the child. Then,place your child in your ecosystem along with theplant and animals. You can then color theecosystem. Once you are done, you will havebuilt your very own wetland ecosystem.

Clues Questions About' Wetland Ecosystems

1. What are the most common typesof wetlands in Illinois?

2. What plants and animals live inIllinois wetlands?

3. How are dead plants and animalsrecycled in a wetland?

4. How is food first produced in awetland?

5. How is water and oxygen recycledin .a wetland?

6. How does food flow through thefood web of a wetland?

7. Why do Certain animals live indifferent types of wetlands?

8. Where do animals find shelter ina wetland?

b. What is the importance of.predatorsin a wetland?

10. How can the different species ofanimals live in harmony in awetland?

11. What is the relationship betweenpeople and wetlands?

18

Chapter 2The Most Common Types ofWetlands in Illinois

4601tE Wi4

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54150114 in5 WA. r

FACT PACKAGE (FP)About Wetland Types

-The six most common types of wetlandsin Illinois are rivers, streams, lakes,ponds, marshes and swamps. Rivers,

like the Mississippi and Illinois, are large,- movingbodies of water. RiVers connect with other riversand streams to form a stream system thateventually drains into an ocean. When a riverfloods or cuts a new channel, it creates otherwetlands such es backwater lakes, marshes andswamps. Streams are smaller than rivers, but theyalso have moving water. Lakes' are large bodies ofstanding water. The water in some lakes is verydeep yet shallow in others. Ponds are like lakesonly they are usually smaller and shallower.Marshes are places where the land is low andcovered with standing water. Marshes are openareas where there are,few trees, but there are

Sonctlier -EtAct 'a lakestioa.4e,r

many small,'green plants like common cattail. andAmerican lotus. Swamps are bottomland forestscovered by standing water. Unlike marshes,swamps are stocked full of trees.

Working With Wetland TypesWork Step #1. Begin work_on the word pictureabove by filling in the blank line at the top of thepicture. you can do so by matching the clue infront of the blank line with the same clue in theFACT PACKAGE. Copy the first sentence afterthe clue in the FP onto the blanicline in thepicture.

Work Step #2. Complete the word picture bylabeling the six types of wetlinds-drawn in thepicture. To help, you do that, compare thedescriptions.beside each drawing with theinformation in the FP.

19-.17

Chapter 3The Kinds of Plants and Animals inIllinois Wetlands

clue

imeorhvice Ci-a+tmeof s A i&-lavtd IAA.Vd-a4- is imporfani- -6 ?kil-5

and aninotts be.caust.

FACT PACKAGE. (FP)for Plants and Animals

Wetlands provide a habitat for woodyand herbaceous plants, invertebrate's,fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and

mammals. A wetland habitat is important to theplantS and animals that live there. The habitatprovides them with a home where they canreproduce, and find food and shelter. Within awetland habitat they can thrive; without a wetlandhabitat, they cannot survive. .

The habitat in wetlands is very different from thehabitat in forest and prairies. Probably the biggest,,difference is that wetlands. always have water. For ,[that reason, the plants and animals that inhabitwetlands must be suited for or adapted to life inor near water.'

Woody plants are trees and shrubs like pin oakand swamp privot. These, plants are adaptedtoliving in or near Water because they can take rootand grow in wet or moist soil. Herbaceous plants,more simply called herb's, are smaller greenplants that lack the woody tissue found in treesand shrubs. Wetland herbs, such as Americanlotus and common cattail, have special features tohelp them adapt to living in water:For example, aherb has air spaces in its sterns and leaves.Because of these air spaces, the herb can standup straight in the water and, float its leaves:

Among the animals in the wetland, theinvertebrates, or animals without backbones, arethe most numerous. There are actually thousandsof different kinds of invertebrates, including

"microscopic one-celled protozoa, insects (beetles,bugs, and dragonflies), mollusks (clams andsnails), worms, crayfish and spiders. Because oftheir speCial body equipment, wetlandinvertebrates are adapted to life in or near water.For example, the water strider has special:legsthat, enable it to walk on the water surface. Themaple leaf mussel has a thick, muscular foot thatit uses to creep along the wetland bottom. Thewater boatman uses its long, flattened legs topaddle through the water. The giant scavengerbeetl2.has.two antennae that it can stick up'through the water surface to catch oxygen that isthen stored under its wings. It's easy to see howfish are adapted to life in water. With their tailsand fins, they can swim; with their gills, they cantake oxygen out of the water.

Both amphibians, such as frogs, toads, andsalamanders, and reptiles, such as snakes andturtles, are adapted to life in and out of the water.While on. land, they crawl or hop. When they taketo the water, they. swim or paddle their way along.

Wetland birds and mammals are also adapted forlife in and out of the water. Many birds andmammals, like the mallard and river otter, spend agreat deal of their time in the water. These.'animals are equipped with heavy -duty, waterresistent feathers or fur to protect them againstthe water and webbed feet to help them swim.Some birds,' like the great blue heron, are notequipped to swim, but they have long, slenderlegs that they can use to_wade in the water-. Thereare other birds and mammals, like the osprey andbobcat, that are not adapted to living in the water.However, these land animals visit wetlandsregularly to catch prey, the osprey from the airand the bobcat from along the shore.

Working With Wetland Plants andAnimalsWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture atthe top of page 18 by matching the clue in the topleft hand corner of the picture with the same cluein the FACT PACKAGE. Then copy the firstsentence that follows the clue in the FP onto'theblank line.in the picture.

Work Step #2. Continue work on the word picture,by labeling the kinds of plants and animals drawnin the seven boxes of the picture. To do so, writethe kind of plants or animals drawn in the box ontothe blink line at tthe bottom of each box. Yourchoices are the seven kinds of plants and animalslisted at the top of the word picture. To help youwork, be sure to, use the information in the FP. _

Work Step' #3. Complete the word picture byfilling in the Importance Statement at the bottomof the pictUre. To do that, write in your ownwords about why a wetland 'habitat is important toplants and animals. You can use the informationIn the FP to help you develop your statement.

Work Step #4. On a separate sheet of paper,answer these questions:- '

1. How are woody plants adapted to living nearwater?

2. Whatis a special feature of herbs that enablesthem to grow in water?

3 Explain how the following invertebrates usetheir special equipment to live in the water(water strider, maple leaf mussel, waterboatman, and giant water scavenger beetle).

4. How are fish adapted to living in water?

5 How do amphibians and reptiles travel whenon land, when in water?

;;6.. How are some birds, like the mallard and

great blueheron, equipped to spend time inthe water?

.2119

Chapter 4

The Wetland Bottom

In Chapters 2 and 3, you learned to identify themost.common types of wetlands in Illinois, andyouTdarned-abbutthe kinds-of-plants and animalsadapted for life in or near wetlands. Beginningwith this chapter, your assignment is to take a

closer look at wetland ecosystems. You can start.at the wetland bottom.

Irn po rtance gfectenesf e process e(ew+evt

cIR:1 because.

20

FACT PACKAGE (FP)for the Wetland Bottom ---The wetland bottom is an important part of theecosystem. t serves as a natural basin-to-tiold-thewater and provides a.stable place for plants totake root. Different types of wetlands have.different kinds of bottoms. Rivers and str^amsusually have hard bottoms made of rock, gravel,sand, or fine soil. However, when run-off w.atercarrying soil from nearby land flows into a river orstream, the bottom becomes covered with soil orsilt. Still water wetlands, 6.uch as takes, ponds,marshes, and swamps, usually have a softerbottom made of soil or mud.

The wetland bottorn is a riCh storehousefor the nutrient elements, such asphosphorus and.nitrogen, that aii plants

and animals need tO grbvi: When Oiants andanimals die, bacteria and funbi breakcttiem downinto nutrient elements. 0 The.nUtrient elementsare then stored in the bottom until they are takenin through the roots of a living plant.

Once the nutrient elements have entered the plantthrough its roots, the plant can use the nutrientsto help it grow. If the plant is eaten by an animal,such as a muskrat, the nutrients are passed alongto it. This is how dead materials in the wetlandecosystem are recycled into valuable nutrientelements for living plants and-animals. Thisprocess js called nutrient element.cycling.

There is another reason why nutrient cycling is animportant process in the wetland. The deadbodies of animals, along with the decaying stems,leaves, and roots of plants take up a lot of roomin the ecosystem. When the dead materials are

broken down into microscopic nutrient elements,new living space is created for living plants andanimals.

Working With the Wetland BottomWork Step #1. Begin work.on the wo-rd picture atthe top of page 20 by matching the clue in the topleft corner of the picture with the same clue in theFACT PACkAGE. Then copy the first sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank linein the picture."

Work Step #2. Continue work on the word pictureby filling in the blank lines 1 and '2..-To do that,copy the sentence that follows each of thosenumbers in the FP onto the blank lines in thepicture.

Work Step #3. Through the process of nutrientelement cycling, dead materials are recycled intonutrients that plants and animals can use to grow.Explain another reason why nutrient elementcycling is a vital process in the wetland.

Work Step #4. Complete the word picture byfilling in the blank lines of the IMPORTANCESTATEMENT at the bottom of the piCture. To doso, use your own words to explain why theprocess of nutrient element cyling is important tothe wetland ecosystem.

Work Step #5. Study the word picture below.What is deep below the bottom of somewetlands? How does water move from the bottomof wetlands to aquifers? Does some of the waterin aquifers help recharge the water supply inlakes, springs and oceans? Why are aquifersvaluable to us?_Is it important for the watersupply in aquifers to be recharged? Why?

Below the Wetland Bottom -

Deep below the bottom of some wetlands, like marshes and swamps, are reserves of ground Watercalled aquifers. These aquifers hold a great deal of the world's water supply. There-is 60 times morewater in aquifers than in all of our lakes and rivers combined. Since we pump drinking water out ofthese aquifers everyday, it is important they be recharged by the water that seeps down through thebottom of wetlands.

21

Chapter 5Wetland Herbs

FACT PACKAGE (FP) for Wetland HerbsHerbs.team up With woody 'Plants toproduce the firstfood in the wetland.IC) First, herbs, like giant bur-reed,

capturesunlightin their leaves. Theh, using thesunlight as energy, they combine water andcarbon dioxide in the presence of chlorophyll tomake glucose or food molectiles. This process ofmaking food is called photoSynthesis. C) Whenanimals, like the mallard, eat parts of the herbs,the food molecules are passed onto them.®$irice'animals cannot make their own food, theydepend on herbs and woody plants. as the first

,producers.of food in the wetland ecoeysiem.

Working With Wetland HerbsWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture atthe top, of page 22 by matching the clue in the topleft hand corner of the picture with the same cluein the FACT PACKAGE. Then copy the firstsentence that follows the clue in the FP onto theblank line in the picture.' Continue work on theword picture by filling in the blank lines 1-3. Todo so, copy the sentence or sentences that followthose same numbers in the FP onto the blanklines in the picture.

Work Step #2. Complete the word picture byfilling in the blank lines of the IMPORTANCESTATEMENT at the bottom of the picture. To doso, use your own words to explain why theproductiori of food by plants is important in thewetland.

Work Step #3. Described below are the eightherbs drawn on.lhe Field. Guide on page 24. Read

N,each description carefully and write the types ofWetland habitats each herb groWs in. Then studytheClues written beside each herb drawing in theField Guide 'and complete your Field Guide bylabeling ed6h.herb on the blank line provided.

HERB Descriptions1. white water.Illy: This herb grows in ponds and

marshes. It is rooted, and-its-circular leavesfloat on the water surface. Its white flower hasa yellow center. Habitat:

2. Illinois pondweed: This herb grows in pondsand marshes. It takes root in the bottom, andmost of-its leaves are submerged in the wateralthough some float on the water surface. Itsflower is a narrow spike. Habitat

3. coontail: This herbgrows in ponds andmarshes. It is rooted, and its leaves aresubmerged in the water. At the,tip of eachstern, the leaves are very thick. This gives thestem the look of a raccoon's tail. Its tinyflowers are hidden in the leaves.Habitat:

4. American lotus: This herb grows in theshallow water of rivers, lakes, ponds andmarshes. It takes root in the bottom, and mostof its round, green leaves float on the watersurface. Its floating flower has many paleyellow petals. Habita

5. American bulrush: This herb grows in theshallow water of rivers,. lakes, ponds andmarshes. It takes root in the bottom, and itsdark, green stem stands several feet above thewater surface. Its green leaves branch offfrom the stem, and its tiny flov, 3rsarecrowded into spike-like clusters.Habitat:

6. common cattail: This herb grows in pondsand marshes. It takes root in the bottom, andits stiff, green stem stands four to eight feethigh. Its flat leaves branch off from the stem.Its tiny flowers are packed into long greenspikes. As the herb matures in late summer,the spikes turn brown like the tail of the cat.Habitat:

7. giant duckweed: This herb grows in theshallow.water of rivers, streams, lakes, pondsand marshes. Five to ten roots dangle freelyfrom the oval body of this herb' hich is greenabove and purple below.Habitat'

8. giant bur-reed: This herb grows. in ponds andmarshes. It takes root, and its green,branching stem stands from three to five feethigh. Some of its leaves are above the waterwhile others float on the surface. Its tinyflowers are packed into round flower balls.Habitat

n 0 23

Herb Field Guide

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24 26

Chapter 6

Wetland Woody Plants 0

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FACT PACKAGE (FP) for Woody PlantsTogether with-the herbs, woody plantshelp recycle water'and oxygen in thewetland. 0 Trees and shrubs take in

oxygen from the atmosphere. When they conductphotosynthesis to make food, oxygen is producedas ,a waste-product and returned to theatmosphere. C) Trees and shrubs takb in waterthrough their roots. Some of the water is returnedto the atmosphere when it evaporates from theirleaves. This process is called transpiration. Wateris also given off and returned to the atmospherewhen-the-tree-s-an-d s-hrobilsrtsalatrotrvn to-0dmolecules to create energy to help them grow.This process is called respiration. ,

The recycling of water and oxygen by plants is animportant process ,in the wetland. The earth'ssupply of water and oxygen is limited. If plantsonly used water and oxygen and did not recycle

-them back to the atmosphere, the supply of theseprecious. resources would run out.

Working with Wetland Woody PlantsWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture onpage 25 by matching the clue in the top. leftcorner of the picture with the same clue in theFACT PACKAGE. Then copy the first sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank linein the picture. Continue work on the word pictureby filling in blank lines 1 and 2.,To do so, copythe sentence or sentences that follow those samenumbers in the FP onto the blank lines in thepicture.

Work Step #2. Complete the word picture byfilling in the blank lines of the. IMPORTANCESTATEMENT at the bottom of the picture. To doso, explain in your own words why the recyotingof water and oxygen is an important process.

Work Step-#3..Described below are the eightwoody plants drawn in the FIELD GUIDE on-page 27. Read each description carefully andstudy the clues beside each drawing in the FIELD

GUIDE. Complete your FIELD GUIDE by labelingeach plant on the blank Jine provided.

Woody Plant Descriptions1. pin oak - This medium tree grows up to 75'

tall. Its pin-pointed leaves are green,and itsbark is brown. Its fruit is an acorn.

2. bald cypress - This large tree grows to beover 100' tall in swamps. Its bark is reddish-brown scales, and its leaves are yellow-greenneedles. Its fruit is a 6reen to_brown cone.

3. red-osier dogwood - This 3-10' shrub grows inthickets. Its twigs are dark red and its pale,green leaves are smooth on the upper surfacebut hairy below. The fruit is a whitish-blueberry.

4. silver maple - This medium to large treegrows up to be'100' tall. Its bark is silvery orgray, and its leaves are green on the uppersurface but silvery on the underside.

5. cottonwood - This large tree grows to be 100'tall. Its bark isRgray, and its triangular leavesare green. The white, cottony hairs attachedto its fruits catch the wind to travel. .

6. sandbar willow - This'plant is called a shrubwhen it is small, but if it grows up to 25' tall, itis called a small tree. Its bark is gray, and itsleaves are very narrow, green blades. Thesmall, silky fruits travel with the breeze.

7 swamp privot - Known as a shrub if it is small,*this plant can grow to be a'small tree at 30'tall. It grows in swamps and along rivers: Its

'bark is brown, and its leaves yellow-green.Its small fruit is dark purple,.

8. common buttonbush - Usually a shrub about3 to 8' tall, bottonbush can grow 'to be.a smalltree at 20' tall. Its dark, gray bark issometimes nearly black, while its leaves aredark green'above and paler green. below. Itsgreen fruit's, tinged with red, are round balls.

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27

Chapter 7

Wetland Invertebrates

FACT PACKAGE (FP) for Invertebrates.You learned in Chapter 6 that herbs and woodyplants produce the first food in the wetlandecosystem. That plant food feeds all of the plant-eating animals in the ecosystem. So we know thatfood flows from wetland plants to the animals thateat them. But how does food in the wetland flowto the animals that do not eat plants? We canstudy invertebrates to find the answer.

By serving as prey for other animals,

the food web in the wetland. ® When# invertebrates help food flow through

..an invertebrate, like the little pond snail, feeds ona plant like coontail, food molecules in thecoontail are transferred to the snail. ® When thesnail is eaten by another animal, like the bluegill,food molecules from the coontail are transferredalong to the bluegill. This is how invertebratesturn plant food into food that animals can eat.® Some invertebrates, like the green darner, eatother animals, such as the water strider. In turn,the green darner may be eaten by a black tern.

Sooner or later, all invertebrates are eaten byanimals who in turn are eaten by other animals..That is how invertebrates help keep food flowingthrough the food web in the wetland. Theillusfration below is a mini-version of the food

web. As you can see, the food web is made ofmany overlapping food chains. Because they aresmall, invertebrates are often at the bottom of thefood chains.

Working with Wetland InvertebratesWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture onpage 28 by matching the clue in the top leftcorner of the picture with the same clue in theFACT PACKAGE. Then copy the-first sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank linein the picture. Continue work on the word pictureby filling in the blank lines 1-4. To dO so, copythe-sentence or sentences that follow those samenumbers the FP onto the. blank lines in thepicture.

Mirk Step #2. Complete work on the word pictureby filling in the blank lines of the IMPORTANCESTATEMENT. To do that, explain in your ownwords why it is important that invertebrates helpkeep food flowing through the wetland food web.

Work Step #3. Described below are the teninvertebrates drawn in the FIELD GUIDE onpage 31. Read the descriptions carefully and then--study the clues beside each driiring in the FIELDGUIDE. Complete your FIELD GUIDE by labelingeach invertebrate on the blank line provided.

Mini Food Web

29

30

INVERTEBRATE Descriptions1. small mayfly: The female mayfly is brown to

red, but the male is much paler. Adultmayflies live for only a few days and do noteat. To mate, males swarm together andperform a kind of dance. The males grab thefemales that enter the swarm and mate inflight.

2. green darner: This green insect can flap itsfour wings independently to fly forward aswell as backward to chase down insects.

3. large whirl -i -gig beetle: Using its long, slenderforelegs and short; paddle,shaped hind legs,this black, oval insect skates across thesurface film. Groups-of beetles congregateand swim in sweeping circles. The eyes of thebeetle are divided into two parts so.it can seebelow water and above at the same time.

4. water tioatman: This long, oval insect ismottled brown-gray with yellow crossbands.The-adult uses its long, flattened legs to .

paddle through the water. To breathe, it takesin air at the surface and stores it in a silveryenvelope around its body.

5. giant water scavenger beetle: This insect isbrown, gray, or shiny black with reddish black,legs. When the adult swims to the surface, itsticks up two antennae to catch oxygen thatis then stored under its wings.

pond crayfish: This brown crustacean often

hides under rocks or burrows into the mud.The crayfish uses mud balls from its diggingto_build a little chimney at the entrance of itsburrow.

7. six-spotted fishing spider: This spider isgreenfish brown with a silvery, white stripedown each side. On the abdomen, there are12 white spots above, and 6 black spotsbelow.

8. little pond snail: This brown snail shreds offplant food with its rasping tongue. It has athick muscular foot that, it uses to move upand down herb sterns.

9. maple-leaf: This brownish to black musselcreeps across the bottom with its thick,muscular foot. By using a special valve, itsucks in water, eats thaliny bits of food in thewater, and shoots the,waIer back out throughanother valve.

10. red-tailed bumble bee: This yellow and blackbee has a reddish rear abdomen. When 'it'feeds on. the pollen of a flower, somof the'pollen rubs off onto a smooth area encircledby hairs'on its hind leg. This area is called apollen basket. The bee carries the pollen inthe basket to the next flower. Then, some ofthe pollen in the basket rubs off onto thatflower. The pollen fertilizes the eggs in theflower and they begin to mature into seedsthat may someday grow into new plants.

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types of immature forms nymphs, naiads and larvae. Naiads and larvae live and look very

differehtly from their parents and go through a resting stage before they emerge as adults.

32

Invertebrate Field Guide

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32

Chapter 8

Wetland Fishes

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34

FACT PACKAGE (FP) for FishesYoU. learned in Chapter .2 that there are six majortypes of wetlands in Illinoisrivers, streams,lakes, ponds, marshes and swamps. Thesewetlands, along with the less common types, suchas bogs, creeks and springs, provide habitat for186 fish speeies. But that doesn't mean that all186 species are found in every type of wetland.

Within a particular type of, wetland,only the fish species suited for the'natural conditions of the wetland are

found. When we speak of the natural conditionsof importance to fishes, we mean the quality andmovement of the water, the vegetation presentand the make-up of the bottom. For example,ponds often have muddy and still water, a greatdeal of vegetation. and a muddy bottom.

The central mud minnow is well suited for theconditions found in pOnds. This fish is tolerant ofmuddy water and is adapted to swim in quietwater. It hunts and spawns amongst herbs andalgae. To hide, it burrows into mud. So, becauseof its lifestyle, the central mud minnow is quite athome in' ponds. But placed in a quickly moving,gravel-bottom stream, the little fish would bemismatched with the habitat and could notsurvive.

In some types of wetlands, the natural conditionsin one area may be different from those inanother area. For example, in one stretch of aStream, the,..water may be quickly moving and thebottom made of gravel. Yet, in the pools of thatsame stream, the water may be quiet and the

bottom covered with mud. The fish species suitedfor the conditions in the quickly moving area liVethere, and those suited for quiet water live in thepools..

It is important to understand why fish species livein some types of wetlands and not in others,beCause this is how we can learn what naturalconditions each fish needs to. survive: Once weknow what natural conditions are criticai for thesurvivial of a fish species, we can try to manageour wetlands.in such a way to safeguard thoseconditions. If we can safeguard those conditiOns,we can preserve our fishes. Forinstance, therainbCw darter needs a wetland habitat that hasclear, quickly moving water. With that.in mind, wecan help preserve the rainbow/darter by workingto keep soil, and other pollutants out of thewetlands where it lives. And we know that if we`dam a river where the darter is living,it may notbe able to survive in the slower moving water.

Fishes are not the only species that live only inthe wetland habitats they are suited for. All

wetland plant and animal species live in the typeof habitat where the natural conditions are bestfor their survival. By studying and managingthose natural conditions, we-,ban,,vvork to preserveabr.wetland plants arid animals:-

WORKING WITH FISHESWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture onpage 32 by filling in the blank line at the top ofthe picture. To do that, match the clue in the topleft corner of the picture with the same clue in theFACT PACKAGE. Then copy the first sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank lineinthe word picture.

Work Step #2. Described below are eight fishes.Read each description carefully and notice whattypes of wetland habitats each fish lives in. Also,try to discover why each fish is suited for theconditions found in the wetland habitat types itlives in. Then, on a seperate sheet of paper,explain how each fish is suited for the, habitats itlives in.Work Step #3. Label the drawings in the FieldGuide on Page 35.Woe: Step #4. Continue work on the picture bylabeling each fish. Then draw a line from eachfish to all of the wetland habitats it lives in. Finishthe picture by completing the IMPORTANCESTATEMENT in your own words.

FISH Descriptions1. rainbow darter This 1.2 to 2", stout-bodied

darter is brownish-olive with three dark cross-bars on its back. During the breeding season,the male darter is colored like a rainbow withblue, green, red and orange. The rainbowdarter lives in quickly moving creeks, small'rivers, and streams. Within these wetlands, thedarter is best suited for areas where thebottom is made of gravel and the water isclear. This is because the darter hunts alongthe bottom for insect larvae, snails andcrayfish. If the water is muddy, it is moredifficult for the darter to see its prey. If thebottom is muddy, its prey can escape byburrowing into the mud. The rainboW darteralso prefers to spawn over a gravel bottom.During early spring, the female buries thelower half of her body into the gravel. Shethen drives her head into the gravel and rubsher body briskly, against the hard bottom untilher eggs are forced 'out. The male takes aposition above her and fertilizes the eggs asthey are b.uried into the gravel.

2. central mud minnow: This -5" fish is mottledbrown with an olive background. It lives in .

3335.

bogs, slow-moving streams, lakes, ponds andmarshes. In these wetlands, the water isusually shallow, still or slowly-moving. Thebottom is muddy and a great deal ofvegetation is present. These conditions suitthe mud minnow because it plucks off worms,snails and insects from the stem:and leaves ofherbs. It also feeds on herbs and algae.During the spring spawning season, thefemale deposits her eggs onto plants. Themud minnow prefers swimming in quiet waterand often burrows into the mud to hide andrest. Life in a bog is not a problem for thisfish because it can tolerate the acid found inthe water.

3. golden shiner: This 3-5" shiner has agreenish-olive back and golden or silverysides. It lives in small schools in ponds, lakes,swamps and the quiet pools of small streams.In these habitats, the water is still or slowly _moving. Usually the bottom is muddy orcovered with silt, and there is usually a goodnumber of herbs present. These conditionssuit the golden shiner because it hunts in thequiet-water amongst plants for snails andinsects. It also eats algae.. In late spring,spawning begins, and the sticky eggs cling toplants until they hatch. The shiner is moretolerant of muddy water than many fish, andcan live in habitats that have a large amountof silt in the water.

4. bluegill: This small-mouthed fish grows to be-12" long, but.is usually smaller. Its back andsides are dark olive-green and its chin andlower gills are blue. It lives in lakes, swamps,ponds, and, in the pools of rivers and streams.Within these wetlands, the bluegill prefers tolive in well-vegetated areas that have a gravelbottom and clear water. Amongst the plants,the bluegill feeds on algae and hunts forinsects, crayfish, snails and small fish. Sincethe bluegill locates its prey by sight, it doesbest if the water is not clouded by mud.During the late spring and summer spawningseason, the female lays eggs in a nest inshallow water. The male clears space for theshallow nest by flapping its lower fins and tailagainst the bottom..Any type of bottom willdo fOr the bluegill, but it prefers a bottom,made of gravel.

,

5. northern pike: This large fish groWs to be 31"long. It is green or brown and marked bymany yellow spots. It lives in the pools ofcreeks and rivers and in lakes and marshes. Intheie habitats, the water is either still orslowly-flowing. The bottom is muddy and

34

vegetation is present. The pike is suited forthese habitats because it can tolerate muddywater and prefers to swim in quiet to mediumcurrents. From the cover of herbs, itambushes insects, crayfish, frogs, reptiles,and small birds and mammals. During thespring spawning season, the female pike laysmany thousand eggs that stick to plants'or tosticks, rocks, and rotting leaves on thebottom.

6. pirate perch: This 2.5 to 4.5" fish is blackishon the sides with a dark bar across its tail.The pirate perch lives in swamps, ponds,ditches, and slow-moving creeks and streams.in these habitats, the bottom is muddy, thewater current slow, and the water depthshallow. Since these conditions are good forplant growth, thick stands. of herbs are usuallypresent. The perch is adapted for life in thesetypes of habitats because it prefers to swim inslowly-moving water, and hide amongst theplants. It also finds many of the insects it eatson the stems and leaves of plants. SpaWningoccurs in May and-the female lays her eggs ina nest On the muddy bottom.

7. largemouth bass:This 10-20" long fish has abig mouth and is pale olive, black or brown.Since the largemouth bass can adapt to manydifferent kinds of natural conditions, it lives'innearly every type of wetland including rivers,Streams, lakes, ponds, and swamps. By day, itswims slowly in the deeper water or driftsabout piles of driftwood or vegetation. Asdarkness falls: it moves to shallow water tofeedon.fish, crayfish, insects, frogs, and evensmall mammals. During the spring spawningseason, the bass living in streams and riverstravel to quiet bays and, inlets so the eggs canbe laid over gravel or vegetation in still orslowly-moving water.

8. channel catfish: This fork-tailed catfish is paleblue or greenish above and whitish or silverybelow. It usually has Small black spots on itssides. Even though the channel catfish hasbeen stocked in many Illinois ponds andlakes, it prefers to live in clear fast-flowingstreams and rivers. Since the catfish feeds-along the bottom on fish, insects, crayfish andplants, it does best if the bottom is made ofgravel. Because it locates its prey either by'taste, smell or sight, it is the most successful

-if the water is clear. During (ate spring and°i summer, the male cleans out a nest site

beneath a pile of driftwood or in a muskrat or'beaver burrow. The male then guards theyoung fish, until they leave the nest.

36

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Chapter 9Wetland Amphibians and Reptiles

36 38

FACT PACKAGE (FP)for Wetland Amphibians and ReptilesLife in the wetland can be tough for amphibiansand reptiles. They have to withstand harsh

..----weather and dodge tough predators like the minkand great blue heron.

In order to survive, amphibians andreptiles need to find shelter in manyparts of the wetland. When chased by

a predator, they need shelter in which to hide.When they hunt, they need shelter from which, toambush prey. When they rest or bask in the sun,they need shelter to support their bodies. Duringwinter, some reptiles and amphibians need shelterin which to.hibernate. When spring arrives, theyneed parts of the wetland that can shelter andprotect their nests and/or eggs..

Reptit and amphibians find shelter in almostevery art of the wetland. They burrow.into mud,dive to deep water and hide amongst logs, rocks,and vegetation. It's important to keep in mind thatother wetland animals, including invertebrates,fish, birds, and mammals, find shelter in some ofthese same places in the wetland ecosystem.

Working with Amphibians and ReptilesWork Step #1. Begin working on the word pictureon page 36 by matching the clue in the top leftcorner of the picture with the same clue in theFACT PACKAGE. Then copy the firtt sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank linethat follows the clue in the picture.

Work Step #2. Described below are the nineamphibians and reptiles drawn, in the FIELDGUIDE on page 39. As you read each description,pay special attention to where each animal findsshelter in the wetland:Then on the blank linesthat follow each description, write the place orplaces where that animal finds shelter for itselfand its eggs. If there is more than one line, thatmeans the animals finds shelter in more than oneplace in the wetland. To help you get started, thenorthern cricket frog description has already beencompleted.

Work Step #3. Once you have listed the placeswhere amphibians and reptiles find shelter, youcan continue work on the.wordpicture. Studycarefully the wetland scene shown in the picture.Notice that the places that provide shelter foranimals are labeled. Next, look at the descriptionsof the nine amphibians and reptiles below. Usingwhat' you wrote about where each animal findsshelter, write the name of each animal next to allof the places in the word picture that provideshelter for it. For example, if the bullfrog hides in

the mud, write bullfrog in the mud shown in theword picture.

Work Step #4. Complete the word picture byfilling in the blank lines of the IMPORTANCESTATEMENT. To do so, use your own words toexplain why shelter is important to amphibians,reptiles and other animals.

Work Step #5. Your last assignment in this f _

chapter is to label the drawings in the FIELD;GUIDE on page.39.

AMPHIBIANS and REPTILESDescriptions1. northern-cricket frog: The Colors of this small,

warty frog range from brown to yellow to redto black. The thick stands of herbs along theshoreline provide a safe place for the frog tohide and ambush small insects and spiders. Inspring, the male sits on masses of algae andblows out the air in his vocal Ouch to sing itscourtship song of "gick, gick, gick." In spring,the female lays about 200 eggs on the surfacefilm where they are protected by floating

'algae. 1. Adult 1 vAb4 , -eteltte-2. Eggs a-ilize

2. bull frog: This olive-green to brown frog ismarked by dark blotches and is the largestfrog in North America. During the day, ithides under rocks, logs or in stands of herbs.By night, it. stalks the.water's edge to catchsmall birds, snakes and minnows. Ifapprached by a.predator, it jumps for thesafety of deep water. In spring, the male cutsloose with a deep mating call that sounds like"jug-o-rum." The female lays several hundredeggs on the witer surface where they arecradled by algae and floating sticks. 1. Adult

2. Eggs

3. common snapping turtle: This large, olive-gray or brownish black turtle has anenormous head, thick legs, powerful jaws, anda long tail. The snapper spends.most of itstime lurking along the bottom of a lake or;stream. Oftentimes, it shelters itself byburrowing into the mud until only its eyes areshowing. From this position, the snapper canambush just about any fish or insect that,happens along. During the winter, the snapperhybernates in a mud bank, a thick stand ofherbs, or inside a muskrat house. When. itmoves overland from one wetland to another,it hides beneath leaves. In spring, the femalelays 20-30 eggs in a nest she digs in the bank

37

Several yards away from the water. 1. Adult

2. Eggs

4. midland painted turtle: Black to slate gray,this turtle is decorated with red lines borderedby yellow. During winter, it hybernates in themud. During the warmer months, it basks inthe sun on a log or stalks the water's edgewhere it snatches snails, crayfish and smallfish. If danger nears, it quickly swims to thecover provided by a stand of herbs. In spring,the female scoops out a little hole in the soilon the bank, lays her eggs, and covers thehole back up with soil. 1. Adult

2. Eggs

5. Graham's water snake: This medium-sized,stout bodied snake is brown or dark olive witha yellow-green stripe along each side of itsbody. To hunt, it swims slowly throughshallow water and snatches crayfish,amphibians and fish. When threatened by apredator, it moves into a crayfish ch ney orhides in a stand of herbs or under atones.Oftentimes, it climbs up the trunk of a treewhere it finds shelter camouflaging itself-on alimb overhanging the water. The'tem4e giveslive birth to 6-39 young in s 1. Adult

6. mudpup:4yThis large, brown- to graysalamander breathes through reddish, bushy

,-gills. By day, it seeks the shelter of the.deepest water in a lake or river. When nightfalls, it swims closer to the surface where ithunts for small fishes, crayfish, snails andworms. If dpprachect by a predator, it swimsto the shelter provided by floating algae orsticks. In late spring, the female lays about100 eggs ben;:ath an underwater log or rock.1. Adult

2. Eggs

38

7. tiger salamander. This brown to blackamphibian.is marked by light spots and is thelargest land dwelling salamander in the world.It spends the daylight hours buried beneath alog or rock in a forest or wet meadow.Through the night, it hunts for worms, insects,mice, and amphibians. When the rains ofspring begin, it moves to a pond or stream tomate. The female lays 25 to 100 eggs in amass that is sheltered-py floating sticks andvegetation. During its Stay in a wetland, theadult often hides in a crayfish chimney.1. Adult

2. Eggs

8. northern water snake: This large, stout snakeis tan to gray marked by reddish-brownblotches. From behind the cover of herbs, thissnake darts out and surprises frogs, fish, andsalamanders. When at rest, it hides underrockS. During spring, the female gives livebirth to 15 -30 young. The baby snakes areonly 6-12" long but their habits are similar tothose of the adult.1. Adult 2. Young.

9. western ribbon snake: This slender, blacksnake has three light stripes running down itsbody and two fused spots on its head. It liveson land as well as in water. When on land, ithides under leaves and rocks in the forest. Inwater, it is a very fast swimmer and can chasedown frogs, tadpoles, and small fish. Ifthreatened by a larger predator, it speeds-tothe cover provided by herbs. During thewinter, it hybernates in a rock crevice. Whenthe weather warms up, the female gives livebirth to 4-.27 young snakes. 1. Adult

-4 *0

Amphibians and Reptiles Field Guide

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40

Chapter 10Wetland Birds

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FACT PACKAGE for BirdsThere are many beautiful birds in the wetland.Although some birds eat only plants, 'others aremeat-eating predators.

As predators, birds help maintain thebalance of life in the wetland bycontrolling the populations of other.

animals. But how does this process work? We canlook at a mighty predator like the osprey to findthe answer.

Often called the fish hawk, the osprey preys onfish. By eating fish, the osprey helps keep the fishpopulation from exploding. Such an explosionwould have a disastrous effect upon the wetlandecosystem. First of all, thei:e is only so muchspace in the water for all the animals that need tolive there: An over-sized population of fish wouldtake up too much of that space and some otheranimals, like frogs, salamanders, turtles andsnakes, would be crowded out of the water..Secondly, the food supply in a wetland is also.limited. To survive, each anima must get its shareof that food. If an over-sized population of fish istaking more-than its share from the food supply,

my animals, including some of the fish, mayget enough food to grow properly. Some

might even die from starvation.

In addition to fish, bird predators help control thepopulations of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles,other birds and mammals. For example, thebarred-owl helps keep the number of rats andmice under control and the black tern helpsprevent a population explosion of insects. With

. their work, bird predators and all other predatorsincluding invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians,and mammals make sure that no one animal takesmore than its shard of space and food. This keepsthe balance of life in the wetland stable andguarantees a chance of survival for all animals,big and small.

Working With BirdsWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture onpage 40 by matching the clue in the top leftcorner of the picture with the same-ctue-in-theFACT PACKAGE. Then copy the first sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank linethat follows the clue in the piCture.

Work. Step .#2. Described below are the nine birdsdrawn in the FIELD GUIDE on pages 42 and.43.As you read the descriptions, pay special attentionto the hunting strategy of each bird. (The huntingstrategy is the way birds go about catching prey.For example, some birds chase prey in the airwhile others swim through the water to snatch

prey.) Next complete. Sections 1 and 2 that followeach description. In Section 1, circle the set ofthree words that best describes the himtingstrategy of each bird. in Section 2, list the kindsof prey that each bird takes.

Work Step #3. Begin work on the FIELD GUIDEon pages 42 and 43 by labeling each bird. As youcan see, each bird is drawn in a hunting position.To complete the FIELD GUIDE, write the three-word hunting strategy of each bird on the blanklines.

Work Step #4. Continue,work on the word picture.To do so, label each bird drawn in the picture.Then dralA, a line from each bird to the kinds ofanimals it preys upon. When you are finished, youwill have a chart of all the animal populationsthose birds help control. You will notice thatmany of the lines overlap to find a web. This willgive you a look at part of the food web in thewetland.

Work Step #5. Finish the word picture bycompleting the IMPORTANCE STATEMENT inyour own words.

WETLAND BIRD Descriptions1. black tern: This bird is gray above with a,

black head, neck and belly. A fast and expertflyer, the tern zig-zags over thewater with itsbill pointed down. If it spots an insect, it fliesin hot pursuit, dipping and spinning untilsnatches the prey in its bill. The tern is soquick, it can catch one of the fastest ofinsects, the green darner. 1. HUnting strategy:Cruise, Chase and Snatch - or - Perch, Chaseand Pounce. 2. Prey

belted kingfisher This bird is blue-gray abovewith a blue band or' belt across its chest. Ithas a large crest on its head and a longpointed bill. Sometimes the kingfisher percheson a-limb or electric wire and surveys thewater below ,for the movement of fish.Oftentimes, it flies about 30-40 feet above thewater, scanning it for prey. When it sees afish, it may hover for a moment and then pullits wings back and dive headlong into thewater. It disappears below the water for asecond and then rises into the air with thecaptured prey in its bill. 1. Hunting strategy:Scan, Hover and. Dive - or - Scan, Chase andPounce. 2. Prey

3. spotted sandpiper. This bird is' dark brownabove with white underparts dotted withblack. On its long; skinny legs, the gracefulsandpiper takes cat-like steps along the shoreof a pond or lake. As it walks, it bobs its tail

A 4/41

and holds its body forward until it is almostparallel with the ground. In this position, itsbill is within easy striking distance of anyinsect that happens to be on the shore'oramongst the vegetation. If it does spot prey, itstrikes quickly, swallows the food andcontinues on its way. 1. Hunting strategy:Watch, Listen and Dive - or - Stalk, Watch andStrike. 2. Prey

4. great blue heron: This tall, slender bird has adark grayish back and wings and .a long,black plume falling from the back of its whitehead. The heron hunts most commonly bystanding almost perfectly still in shallowwater. Even thoUgh'its head does not move,its eyes are always rolling back and forth,watching the fish swimming in the waterbelow. When one comes within reachingdistance, the heron darts its long neckforward and snatches tire- prey with its beak.1. Hunting strategy: Perch, Cruise and Pounce- or - Stand, Look and Grab. 2. Prey ,

5. osprey: This bird has a dark back and wingsand a' white head and underparts. A good clueto its identity is the black stripe running fromits beak, through the eye to its back.Sometimes called the fish hawk, the ospreyflies and sails 30-100 feet above the water,looking for fish. When it spots prey, it mayhover for a moment and then close its wingshalf-way and dive. As its feet splash into thewater, it pulls its wing back and rises into.theair. If the hit was on target, a fish is tightlypinned in its talons. 1. Hunting strategy:Cruise, Dive and Strike - or - Perch, Chaseand Pounce. 2. Prey

6. green heron: This small heron is bluish greenabove with maroon running from the back of

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42

its neck to its shoulders. To hunt, it standsvery still on a log or rock and waits patientlyuntil it spies a frog, fish or grasshopper. Theheron can bend_its neck as if it wamade ofrubber and once it spots'prey, it darts its neckdown in any direCtion and seizes the animal' inits beak. 1. Hunting strategy: Cruise, Dive andSnatch - or - Stand, Watch and Snatch2. Prey

7. mallard: The colorful male mallard has agreen head, a white neck band and a rustybreast. The female is mottled brown so thatshe can sit camouflaged on her nest in astand of dried cattails. This duck eats mostlyplants but'when it hunts for animals, it swimsslowly and plucks off insects, snails, and frogsresting on plants or floating in the water,1. Hunting strategy: Swim, Looknd Pluck -or - Cruise, Dive and Snatch: 2. Prey

8. hooded merganser. The handsome malemerganser has a rounded, white cap or hoodbordered by black., The male is sharplycolored with white, brown and black while thefemale is a duller brown. To hunt; themerganser swims along the surface and thensuddenly, turns tail up and dives. Once it isunderwater, it swims by stroking its wings andkicking its feet. If it spots prey,-it gives chase.Usually it is quick enough to catch the fastestlittle fish or insect. When it does snatch ananimal, its specialized bill holds it in a tightgrip. Its bill, called a serrated bill, has sharpjagged edges that can squeeze and pinslippery minnows and tadpoles. 1. Huntingstrategy: Swim, Dive and Pursue - or - Perch,Fly and Chase. 2. Prey

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44

FACT PACKAGE (FR)f-orvitt ra-vivrammais

Life is not easy in the wetland. There is only somuch food and tpace, and all species, big andsmall, must compete for their share. Fortunately,nature has designed a way to reduce thiscompetition so that all animal species can live-inharmony inthe wetland. We can study mammalsand the five letter'word in quotation marks in thenext clue sentence to understand how.

that follow each of those numbers in the FP onto

Mammalt can live together in harmonybecause each species livet in a certain"niche" in the wetland. QQ A species'

_niche is its special place or role to play in theecosystem. C) So that each species can have itsspecialplace to feed.and raise young, themammals-spread out over the wetland. Fcirexample, the muskrat moves abOut mostly in thewater and builds its nest in a house of stalks. Theraccoon, on the other hand, hunts along the'

:shore and raises its young in a tree hollow. C) Sothat each mammal can have its own foie to play,the rharrunals have different feeding habits. Thebeaver feeds on trees at night while the river otterhunts,foranimals by day.

Although the niches of some mammals may. besimilar, they are never quite the same. Thisguarantees each species its share of space andfood in the ecosystem. And even though themammals-prey on each other, the survivors canlive to carry on the'species.

Like the mammals, all- other animatspecies have aniche in the wetland. Because each species lives--within its niche, all of the'animals can livetogether, and the ecosystem will functionsmoothly. If one species loses a part of its niche,it suffers and may eventually die out. Forexample, the niche of the bobcat.includes riverbottom forest. Since a great deal of the forest inIllinois has Been cleared to 'make room for citiesand cropland, the bobcat has suffered anddwindled in numbers. In fact.the bobcat is listedas a "threatened mammal" in Illinois. If.conclitionscontinue to worsen for the bobcat, it may become"endangered" which means that it could becomeextinct in Illinois.

Working with MammalsWork Step #1. Begin work on the word picture onpage 44 by matching the clue in the top leftcorner of the picture with the same clue-in theFACT PACKAGE. Then Copy the first sentencethat follows the clue in the FP onto the blank linethat follows the clue in the picture. Continue work'on the word picture by filling in the blank lines 1-3. To do so, copy the senterice,or sentences

the blank lines in the picture.

Work Step #2. Finish' the word picture bycompleting the IMPORTANCE STATEMENT inyour own words.

Work Step #3. Described below are the ninemammal species drawn in the. FIELD GUIDE onpages 46 and 47. As you read each description,pay special attention to the niche of each species.To do that, notice the parts of the wetland thespecies feeds in, what it eats, when it is activeand where it finds shelter for itself and young.Using what you learn from the descriptions,complete the. NICHE CHART on page 48 bycompleting Steps 1-4. At Step 1, there are sevenboxes. Each box represents a part of the wetland,including the parts just outside of the wetland likethe forest and meadow. In each box, list themammals that feed in that part of the wetland.Remember that mammals feed in more than onepart of the wetland. Be sure to list each mammalin all of the parts-where it feeds. At Step 2, thereare six boxes. Each box represents a kind- of food.In each box, list the mammals that feed on thatkind Of food. At Step 3, there are three boxes, Inthe day box, list the mammals active by day; inthe -night box, list those active at night; in theafternoons and morning box, list the mammals'active during those times. At Step 4, there arefour boxes. Each box represents a part of the _

wetland where the mammals find shelter forthemselves and nests. In each box, list themammals that find shelter in that part of thewetland.

Work Step #4. Now that your NICHE CHART iscomplete, you are invited to a challenge. Try ashard, as you can to find two animals that haveexactly the same niche. If you can't, don't worry.That is the way it is supposed to be. Since no twospecies have exactly the same-niche, each isguaranteed its own place and role in theecosystem. This is how each animal survives-while living in harmony with the other .animals inthe wetland.

Work Step #5. Your list assignment in thischapter is to complete the. FIELD GUIDE onpages 46 and 47. Study the clues beside eachdrawing in the guide and label the mammals.

MAMMAL Descriptions1. muskrat: This rich brown animal uses its

webbed feet and somewhat flattened tail tohelp it swim. By day, the muskrat movesamongst the herbs where it feeds on roots,stems and leaves. Out in the water,: the

4745

46

muskrat builds several dome-shaped housesof cattail and bulrush stems. In these houses,the muskrat linds shelter for itself and young.If a pair of muskrats are living along a quicklymoving stream, they do .not build a house.Instead, they dig into a, mud bank and build anest in one chamber of the burrow.

2., mink: This long, slender animal is dark brownand has slightly webbed hind feet and a lOng,bushy tail. Mostly at night, the mink stalks theshore .of wetlands where, it preys on insects,crayfish, frogs, snails and water birds.Sometimei, it travels to a nearby meadowwhere it catches mice and rabbits. To shelteritself and young, the mink.crawls into aburrow in the bank. Oftentimes it takes overthe' house of a muskrat out in the.water..

3. short-tailed shrevk This mouse-sized shrewhas nearly black, velvety fur and a sharp-pointed head. It lives in, the forest surroundinga swamp. By day or night, it travels throughthe leaves on the forest floor to catchearthworms, snails, and insects. It findsshelter for itself and nests in tiny tunnels thatit digs just beneath the' forest floor.

4. bobcat: This bob-tailed at has yellowish grayfur streaked with black. Mostly' at night, thebobcat travels through the forest along riversand swamps. This is where the cat tracksdown and kills birds, rabbits, and squirrels.For shelter, the bobcat makes a den in a felanrotten log or at the base of a standing hollowtree in the forest.

5. river otter: This animal has thick, short, brownfur, a flattened head and large webbed feet. .

By day, the otter swims through the water tocatch earthworMs, crayfish, frogs, turtles and

fish. It makes a den in a hole in the bank..

little brown bat: This olive-brown or yellowish, .

mammal flies on nearly hairless wings made"of thin skin. During the warm months, it often-flies above lakes and ponds. FroM dusk todawn, it chasesdown insects in the air.During the day, it stays.in a nearby forestwhere it shelters itself and young in thehollow' of a tree.

beavir: This large, brown animal has a flat,paddle-shaped tail and webbed hind feet. ACnight, the beaver feeds on the inner bark of .

the trees it cuts dowri.along the shore. Toshelter itself and iourig, the beaver builds a .

wooden lodge in the water behind its dam:Occasionally, it makes a den in a burrow inthe bank.

8. meadow vole: This short-tailed animal isbrownish gray above and yellow Or lustbelow. It lives in meadows at the edge ofmarshes. Mostly in the morning and thenagain in the afternoon, the vole cuts out travel,runways in the grass. Sometimes, however;the vole is active at night. Since the Vole eatsgrass, it can eat as it works. In its runways,'which are aboutthe size of a garden hose, thevole shelters itself and its :rest.

9. raccoon: This gray-brown animal can beidentified by its black mask and its tail ringedWith black and white.13y day, the raccoonsleeps in the hollow of a tree in the forest.This hollow is also where the raccoon raisesits young. Throughout the night; the raccoonprowls along the shore where it feeds on nuts,berries, insects, crayfish, snails, earthworms,small birds and fish.

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Step 3: Time When Each Species is Active

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48

Chapter 12People and Wetlands

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FACT PACKAGE (FP)for People and WetlandsIn Chapters 1-11, you learned-abciut the plant'sandanimals that live in wetlands. In this chapter,your mission is to study the relationship betweenpeople and wetlands.

Unlike plants and animals, people do not live inwetlands. However, we all live near wetlands.Somewhere not very far from your home orschOol, is a river, stream, lake, pond, marsh, orswamp. You have probably visited one or some ofthese wetlands to swim, boat, fish, or simply lookat the plants and animals there.

We all enjoy wetlands but we also have aresponsibility for their well-being. We are chargedwith that responsibility because we are theguardians of the land in Illinois. It is urito us tocare for all of our land, including our wetlands.One way we try to care for our land is by making_decisions about how our land is used and treated.These decisions are called land-use -debisions.

Since people have the power to makeland-use decisions, we are the care-takers of Illinois' wetlands. C) Some of

our decisions affect wetlands in a positive waywhile others can prove to be harmful to wetlands.

When something new like a road, building, orshopping center needs to be.built, people make adecision about what land to build it on.Oftentimes, they decide to drain and clear away a.wetland so they can build there.

Illinois is a state that has a great deal of cropland.Ever since the state was settled, people have beendeciding to clear wetlands to make room for morecropland. Farmihg, itself, also affects wetlands. Asfields are plowed, the soil is loosened andstripped of vegetative cover. When it rains, someof that soil washes off the fields into nearbywetlands. This soil or "silt"' pollutes the water andbuilds up on the bottom of wetlands.

Soil is not the only pollutant in our wetlands.Other pollutants are sewage, pesticides, and toxicchemicals. Because of the decisions people make,these pollutants are often dumped into wetlands.This pollutes the/Water and is harmful to-theplants and animals in wetlands.

Individuals also make careless decisions thatharm wetlands. Every.time someone throwsgarbage in a wetland or illegally shoots a wetlandanimal, the ecosystem is damaged.

People also make decisions that are good for thewell-being of wetlands. Oftentimes landowners

50

and public and private groups decide to preseryewetlands so the plants and animals can flourishand people can enjoy the wetlands.'

People also work hard to control and treat thepollutants that flow into wetlands. Many farmersuse good soil conservation practices to slowdown the rate of soil running into wetlands. Andeach time one of us visits a wetland and _leaves itjust as we found it, we have made a land-usedecision that benefits wetlands.

Work Step #1. Begin work ori the word picture atthe top of page 49 by filling in the blank line atthe top of the picture. To do so, match the clue inthe top left of the picture with the same clue inthe FACT PACKAGE. Then copy the firstsentence that follows that clue in the FP onto theblank line. Next fill in the blank.line 1. Do that bycopying the sentence that follows the number 1 inthe FP onto the blank line in the word picture. Tocontinue work on the picture, write your name onthe blank line below one of the children in thepicture: This means that you are a wetlandcaretaker. As you grow up, and after you are anadult, you will make many land-use decisions thataffect wetlands.

Work Step #2. Finish the word picture bycompleting the_IMPORTANCE STATEMENT inyour own words.

Work Step #3. You learned in the FACTPACKAGE that people make land-use decisionsthat affect the well-being of wetlands. Listedbelow are ten land-use decisions. Read eachdecision carefully and then on a separate sheet OD--paper, answer the questions about how that =decision affects the wetland. To help you work,look at the clue in front of each decision and thenfind the same Clue in one of the Chapers 2-11.When you have found that clue, you will knowthat Chapter holds information you need for youranswer.

Land-Use DecisionsDecision 1. A school group had decided

19/to start, a fund driveto buy and preserve

./ a wetland. What are the six major typesof wetlands they could buy?

Decision 2. A farming couple havedecided to drain and clear several typesof wetlands on their property to make

room for more cropland. When the wetlands arecleared away, what are the seven kinds of plantsand - animals that will lose their habitat?

52

Decision 3. Many years ago, the peopleat a sewage plant decided to dumpsewage into a stream. Ever since then,

phosphates in the sewage have been acting likefertiligers and making many of the stream plantsgrow more abundantly than normal. There are somany plants, the bacteria and fungi in the watercannot keep up with the job of breaking themdown when they die into nutrient elements. As aresult, the nutrient element cycle in the streamhas been interrupted. Does this mean there willbe less of the nutrients that plants and animalsneed to grow? Will there be less space for livingplants and animals in the stream ecosystem?

Decidion 4. Several years ago, theowner of a large farm decided to sprayherbicides on his crops. Since the owner

did not follow the instructions carefully, he hasbeen spraying too much herbicide on the .fields.Rain water has carried a large amount of theherbicide from the fields into a marsh in themiddle of his property. The herbicides have killedoff many of the herbs in the marsh. Explain howthis has slowed down the production of food inthe marsh.

Decision 5. The people at a lumbercompany have decided to cut down allof the trees'around a lake. Will this

decision affect the recycling of water and oxygenaround the lake? Explain your answer.

Decision6. At a meeting of the towncouncil in Anywhere, Illinois, one groupof citizens proposed that the town lake

be sprayed with insecticides to reduce thenumber of insects around the lake during springand summer. Another group countered theirproposal and said that the lake should not bellsprayed because the insecticides would harm thelake ecosystem. After carefully considering thearguments of both groups, the town council votednot to spray the lake. The chairperson of thecouncil said the decision was based upon the factthat the spraying would kill off many aquaticinsects, and that the loss of those insects woulddisrupt the flow of food to other animals in the.lake. in addition, the chairperson said thatpeople could be harmed if they ate fish from thelake that had absorbed some of the insecticide intheir bodies. Can you explain how the loss ofinsects could disrupt the flow of food in the lake .ecosystem?

Decision 7. People have decided to dama river. This will stow down the current ofthe water. Will fishes suited for living

in quickly moving water, like the-rainbow darter,still be able to live in the river?

Decision 8. The people of a city havedecided to.preserve a pond as a naturestudy area. Will this decision enable

amphibians and reptiles to still find shelter in thepond? In what parts of the pond will they still beable to find shelter?

Decision 9. Many years ago, the peopleof ,Illinois.decided to pass laws thatprohibit the hunting or killing of several

hundred animal species in Illinois. Many of thespecies protected by those laws are predatorbirtls in wetlands. Why has this decision, beengood for the well-being-of wetlands?

Decision 10. In the early 1970's, thepeople at a Construction Corripanydecided to.build a housing sub-division

around a large lake. To make the sub-division anattractive and interesting place to live, theConstruction Company decided to preserve thelake in its natural condition. Once .thehomeowners moved into the sub-division, theyalso decided to preserve the lake. They have keptthe water clean by not throwing garbage into thelake. They have also protected the shore of thelake by not driving on it in cars or on motorbikes.And they have been careful not to harm any ofthe herbs and woody plants growing in or aroundthe lake. They have even preserved a forest thatstands on one side of the lake and a meadow thatborders anotherSide. How have the land-usedecisions made by the Construction Companyand the residents of the sub-division protectedthe niches of mammals that live near or in thelake? Name some mammali that have been ableto keep their niches as a result of the land-usedecisions.

Chapter 13

Wetlands Are Valuable

In Illinois, our wetlands are places of great value.This holds true for the smallest marsh to themighty river Mississippi. It is your.mission, in thisexercise, to discover the reasons why thewetlands are a valuable part of the Illinois' naturalresources. To carry out your mission, study thesix VALUE REASONS below and complete theFACT PACKAGE:

VALUE REASON 1Wetlands Provide Habitat for Plants andAnimalsYou learned in the Building an EcosystemChap'ors (1-11) that many plants and animals areadapted to life in or near the wetlands. Sincewetland plants and animals are equipped to feed,reprodUce, and find shelter in or near a wetlandhabitat, they cannot do the same away from awetland. For these plants and animals, a wetlandhabitat is a matter of life and. death. With .awetland habitat, they can thrive; without a wetlandhabitat, they are doomed. A safe habitat isespecially, critical for plant and animal speciesthat are having a hard time surviving. These"endangered" and "threatened" species arealready low in numbers and may be clinging tolife in just a few wetland locations. If thosewetlands are destroyed, they may be pushed to,or closer to, extinction in Illinois. For example,creeping loosestife is a plant that survives in onlythree areas of swampy forest in Illinois. Otherendangered and threatened plants and'animalsthat depend on wetland habitats in Illinois aredune willow, Kankakee mallow, bluebreast darter,bald eagle, river otter and black-crowned 'nightheron.

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VALUE' REASON 2Wetlands Filter and TrapSewage, Silt andChemical PollutantsWetlands work as natural filters. To understandhow, let's look at an imaginery marsh. This largemarsh is bordered on the west by a housingsubdivision, by a farm on the east, and by aninterstate highway on the north. Along itssouthern boundary, it drairis into a small streamthat eventually runs into/a major river. When itrains, a lot of pollutants run off of the areasaround the marsh into its water. Sewage from theseptic tanks in the housing subdivision passthrough the soil into the marsh. Soil washes off ofthe farmland and runs into the marsh. The run-offsoil is carrying pesticides and fertilizers that alsoenter the' marsh. And finally, heavyinetals andautomobile by-products from the interstate washoff the highway and drain into the marsh. Oncethe pollutants are in the marsh, they are trappedby the thickly growing herbs. The soil or silt,pesticides, metals and automobile wastes settle,tothe bottom. The phosphates and nitrates in thefertilizers are broken down and recycled throughthe nutrient element cycle. By the time the waterflows out of the marsh, through the sti earn andinto the river, many-of the pollutants have beenfiltered out of the water and left behind in themarsh. Because of the marsh's work as a filter,the water in the river is kept cleaner. This is notto say that wetlands, like the marsh, can filter anyamount of pollutants and not be damaged. Everywetland reaches a cut-off point and once itreaches that point, it cannot absorb any morepollutants without being damaged. That is why weneed to work to control, the amount of pollutantsthat flow into our wetlands.

VALUE REASON 3In Illinois, our rivers flood each year. These floodsoften cause serious damage. The damage islessened, however, due.to the work of the'backwater wetlands, such as lakes, swamps, andmarshes along the rivers. When a river floods,much of the water spills over into its backwaterwetlands. These wetlands then act like spongesand absorb the flood water. This helps keep theflood water out of our cities and off of our roads.Once the floods have peaked, the backwaterwetlands release.the flood waters slowly back intothe river. As a bonus, some of the pollutants inthe flood water have been filtered and trapped inthe backwater wetlands and never enter the river.

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VALUE REASON 4Wetlands Recharge AquifersDeep below our wetlands are large undergroundreserves of water called aquifers. Since we takewater out of the aquifers, it is important that theybe recharged by rainwater. Wetlands play animportant role in that process. Wetlands catch therainwater. The water then sinks down through thewetland bottoms until it reaches and rechargesthe aquifers.

VALUE REASON 5Wetlands Provide Fond and Water forHumansWetlands provide some of the fuel we need tolive. We get our drinking water from rivers, lakesand aquifers. We eat fish and other animals takenfrom wetlands. The water from wetlands is evenused to irrigate some of the crops produCed byIllinois farmers. These crops help feed people allover the world and are an important part of our

.economy.

VALUE REASON 6Wetlands Provide Opportunities for ..Recreation and Serve as Living Museumsof our Natural HeritageMost people enjoy wetlands at one time oranother: Wetlands give us a placerto swim, fish,hunt, boat, and observe nature. In these wetlands,we can study the beautiful plants and animals thatlive there. And we can stand in fasCination as wewatch how the wetland ecosystems work. Everylittle tadpole and each blossoming plant is part ofour natural tieritage in Illinois. When we visitwetlands',-we can enjoy that wonderful heritage.

FACT PACKAGE (FP) about the Value ofWetlandsOn a separate sheet of paper, create a FACTPACKAGE about the value of wetlands. To dothat, explain in, your own words the six reasonswhy wetlands are a valuable part of Illinois'natural resources.

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53

Chapter 14

Problems that Threaten Wetlands

Described in the FACT PACKAGE (FP) below arefour major problems that threaten wetlands inIllinois. These problems are habitat destruction,siltation, violation of protection laws, andchemical pollution. On pages 56 and 57, there areword pictures that illuitrate each of those fourproblems. It is your job in this exercise tocomplete thbse four word pictures. To do that,follow these instructions.

The.FACT PACKAGE is divided into 4 Parts. Startat Part 1.- The PrOblems. Take one problem andlook-at the clue drawn before it. Then match thatclue with the same clue in Part 1 of one of theword picturtts. Next copy the word or words thatfollow the clue in the FP onto the blank line in theword picture. Follow the same procedure with thenext three problems.

Part 2 - The CausesThere are four causes of wetland problems listed.Take one cause and match its clue with the sameclue in Part 2 of one of the word pictures. Nextcopy the bold words in Hance only that follow theFP clue onto the blank line that follows that cluein the word picture. Follow the same procedurewith the other three causes.

Part 3 - The EffectThere are four effects of wetland problems listed.Take one effect and match its clue with the sameclue in Part 3 of one of the word pictures. Thencopy the bold wordsln Italics only that follow theFP clue onto the blank lines that follow that cluein the word picture. Follow the same procedurefor the other three effects.

Part 4 - The SolutionsThere are four solutions given for wetlandproblems. Take one problem and 'match its cluewith the same clue in Part 4 of one of the wordpictures. Then copy the bold words in Italics onlythat follow the clue in the FP'onto the blank linesthat follow that clue in, the word picture: Followthe same prAcedure for the other three solutions.Once you are finished, you will have completedyour study of the problems threatening IllinoiswetlandS.

FACT PACKAGE (FP)about Wetland ProblemsPad 1. The Problems

54

siltation ..

habitat destruction

violation of protection laws

(CPchemical pollution

Part 2. The Causes

People who brpak the law by dumpingwastes or harm protected animals Inwetlands.

The soil from cropland -is carried byrainwater into the water of wetlands.This is called soli erosion.

Pesticides and fertilizers are themajor causes. Farmers and homeownersspray pesticides, herbicides and

insecticides to control pests, fungi and insects ontheir plants. They also treat their plants withfertilizers to help them grow. These chemicalsmake their way down into the soil. Whenrainwater erodes the soil, the chemicals arewashed along with the soil into wetlands.

The draining and clearing of wetlandsto make room for the development ofbuildings, roads and farmland.

Part 3. The Effects

The run-off soil called "silt"makes the water in the wetlandmuddy. The muddy water blocks the

flow of sunlight that plants need to conductphotosynthesis. As a result, animals are deprivedof plant food. The thick blanket of silt is toounstable,for plants to take root in..As plants die,the animals also suffer from a lack of oxygen. Asmore and more silt builds up on the there.Is less room for the water. This makes the wetlandflood durin6'heavy rains. The finarresults ofsiltation are that plants anil animals die, andfloods are caused.

Pesticides, herbicides andinsecticides pollute the water ofwetlands. Plants, and some animals,

take in the chemicals from the water. Eventually,the chemicals are paised from one animal to thenext in the food web until all animals are laced

with the chemicals. As a result, the plants andanimals sicken and often die. The fertilizers alsopollute the water. Some plants are tolerant of thefertilizers and grow more abundantly than.normal.Eventually, these plants take over the wetland byshading out the less-tolerant plants in theecosystem. Before long,kthe less tolerant plantsdie out and the animals suffer from a lack of foodand oxygen. People also are victims of chemicalpollution. When we eat fish from a stream that ispolluted with chemicals, those chemicals arepassed into our bodies. The end results ofchemical pollution are that fewer plant speciessurvive; animals sicken and/or die, .and peoplemay sugar.

Wetlands provide a natural habitat`or plants and animals. In thishabitat, they can find foor

shelter. Wetlands also provide wonderful placesfor people to swim, boat and to observe nature.When wetlands, are destroyed to make way fornew development, 'plants and animals die becausethey have lost their habitat and people also losethe wetlands they enjoy.

In Illinois, there are laws thatprotect wetlands and the wildlifethat live in them. For instance, it

is illegal to dump sewage or any other pollutantinto wetlands. It is also illegal to harm thenearly 500 species of animals that areprotected by law: There are 72 "endangered" and"threatened" wildlife species in Illinois. Theendangered species are in danger of becomingextinct. It is against the law to hurt, kill or possessan endangered animal. Many endangered animals,like the least tern, live in or near wetlands. Thereare some species, like the Muskrat, hoodedmerganser and bluegill, that can be legallyhunted, fished or trapped. However, it is illegal toviolate fishing and hunting laws when takingthese species. Hunters, anglers, and trappersmust follow safety rules, take no more than thelegal limit of game animals, and also hunt, trap, orfish within the posted seasons.

When people violate wetland protection laws:theconsequences are grave. When Wastes aredumped into wetlands, plants animals maydie in the polluted water. And remember, peoplealso get their drinking.water from these sameplaces. When a'hunter violates a hunting law, heor she is taking more than his or her share of thesupply. And, of course, the results are obviouswhen animals are illegally shot. Unfortunately, the.leading cause of death for the bald eagle, anendangered bird that lives along Illinois' riversand lakes in the. winter, is illegal shooting. Asaresult of protection law violations, every part ofthe wetland ecosystem is damaged and peoplesuffer too.

Part 4. The Solutions

Of course, we would not want to stopthe development of all new buildings,roads and farmland. But before we

build or develop anything new, we should look' atall of the places where it could be built.Sometimes, we can choose a building site that isnot a wetland or other natural habitat. The choiceabout where to build or develop something new isusually not an easy one. But, with careful land-useplanning, we can try to preserve as many'wetlands as possible.

The solution to this problem is simple:we should all abide by the laws :hatprotect wetlands.

There are two important things we cando to help solve chemical pollution.First, since chemicals are carried

into wetlands with the soil that washes offfarmland, we can work to control soil erosion. Byusing good soil conservation practices like theones described in the solution to the Problem ofsiltation, farmers and other landowners can helpcontrol soil erosion: If we can slow down soilerosion, we can also reduce the amount ofchemicals flowing into our wetlands. The secondthing we can ao is control the amount and kind ofchemicals we use. People who use chemicalsshould follow the instructions carefully and applyonly the recommended amount. If too great aquantity of chemicals is used, the problem is onlyworsened. We should also pay close attention tothe kinds of chemicals 'we use. We-know thatsome chemicals are,more harmful than others.For example, chemicals like DDT stay active inthe environment for many years. Because of this,DDT and some other persistent chemicals havebeen banned in the United States. Scientists arenow trying to develop new chemicalsthat are lesspersistent. These chemicals break down morequickly in the environment and do less damage.In the future, we should try to use these lesspersistent chemicals.. ,

Farmers can use good soli con-servation practices to slow down therate of soil erosion. One thing they

can do is leave more crop stubble on their fields.The stubble holds the soil and keeps it fromwashing away. They can also build roundedridges of earth called terraces across slopingfields. These terraces catch and hold rainwater asit runs downhill. Farmers and landowners canalso plant trees, shrubs and prairie grasses ontheir land, especially on hills bordering streams.

..The roots of these plants hold the soil in place.

57 55

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58

Chapter 15

Working as a Wetland Manager

On page 52, you learned about why wetlands aresuch a valuable part of our natural resources inIllinois. Then on pages 5:57, you studied theproblems that threaten wetlands as well as someof the solutions to those problems. Now it is timefor you to put what you have learned to workmanaging our wetlands.You learned in Chapter 12 that we are thecaretakers of the wetlands in Illinois. Any workthat we do to care for or conserve our wetlands iscalled wetland management. Since each Illinoisanis a caretaker of our wetlands, each of us,including you, is a Wetland Manager. Afterall, it is up to us to solve the problems thatthreaten our wetlands. If we can solve thoseproblems, our wetlands will be conserved andthere will be a lot of winners. Wetland plants andanimals will benefit, people will have safe drinkingwater and our children will be able to enjoywetlands just as we do.

Getting Some PracticeTo complete this exercise you will have to workas a Wetland Manager. To do so, place yourself inthe position of the four wetland managers below.In each of those positions, you will 'be working tosolve a wetland problem. Do your work on ase arate piece of paper. To help you work, matchth clues drawn at each position with the same

es in Parts I of the word pictures onpages 56 and 57. Also match the clue at eachposition with the same clues in the FACTPACKAGE on pages 53 -55. *You will need theword pictures and the background information inthe FACT PACKAGE on pages 53-55 to completeyour management work. You will also have toanswer questions about the value of wetlands soyou should review the information on page 52before you begin.

Position 1: STUDENTAs a student, you are a wetland manager. Thereare many things you can do to help conservewetlands. Which of the following could you do tohelp conserve wetlands? @ Learn about wetlandsand the conservation of wetlands in your class atschool. C) Go to the library and read more aboutwetlands. 0 Prepare a'repOrt about wetlands andpresent it to your class. C) Tell others about thevalue of wetlands and why they should beconserved. 0 Write to your lawmakers and

encourage them to pass laws to conservewetlands. C) Treat wetlands with care when youvisit them. Can you think of some other thingsyou could do to conserve wetlands?

Let's practice one thing you can do to helpconserve wetlands. Pretend that you have gone tovisit a farmer in your area. You want to talk to thefarmer about the problem of siltation. Explainwhat you would tell the farmer about the causesof siltation. How would you explain the effects ofsiltation on wetlands? What things would youlellthe farmer to do to help solve the problem ofsiltation? If the farmer asks you why wetlands arevaluable, what would you say?

Position 2: ADULTWhen you grow up to be an adult, you will be awetland manager. There are many things that youwill be able to do to help conserve wetlands.Which of the following do you think you coulddo? () Treat the wetlands you visit with care andtell your children and others to do the same.() Attend public land -use meetings to expressyour views about the importance of conserving'wetlands. C) Write to your lawmakers about howyou think laws should be passed wheneverpossible to protect wetlands. Can you think ofsome other things you could do as an adult to-help conserve wetlands?

Pretend you are an adul:. You are attending a

meeting of the land-use planning.committee ofyour town council. The purpose of the meeting isto plan where to build a new shopping center.You know that one of the sites being consideredfor the shopping center is a large marsh not veryfar from yOur home. You are concerned about thehabitat destruction that would occur if theshopping center is built on the marsh site. Whatwould you tell the committee about the effects ofhabitat destruction upon wetlands,? What wouldyou advise the committee to do as they decidewhere to build the shopping center? If thecommittee wants to know why you thinkwetlands, like.the marsh near your home, arevaluable, what would you say?

60

Position 3: FISHERIESBIOLOGIST

When you grow up, you may choose to be afisheries biologist. In Illinois, fisheries biologistswork for the state or federal government. Aswetland managers, their chief job is to improvethe conditions in our wetlands so that fish andother wildlife can live and reproduce. If you werea fisheries biologist, which of the following couldyou do to help conserve wetlands? C) Give talksto school and community groups about theimportance of conserving wetlands. 0 Adviselandowners about how to control soil erosion sothat the amount of silt and chemicals flowing intoour wetlandS will 'be reduced. C) Advise farmersand homeowners about how to use pestic;des andfertilizers properly. C) Treat wetlands with careand tell others to do the same. 'Can you think ofsome other things you could do as a fisheriesbiologist to help conserve. wetlands?

Pretend you are a fisheries biologist. You areaddressing a community group. that is veryconcerned about a large fish..kill that justoccurred in a nearby lake. You know that the fishkill was caused by pesticides that ran off offarmland into the lake. What will you tell thegroup about the causes of chemical pollution?What will you tell them about the effects ofchemical pollution on wetland ecosystems? Willyou tell the group that chemical pollutio'nthreatens human drinking water? Explain twothings you could tell the group about solving theproblem of chemical pollution*. If the group wantsto know why you think wetlands are valuable,what will you say? ..

Position 4: CONSERVATIONPOLICE OFFICER

When you grow up, you may choose to work forthepepartmentpf Conservation as aConservation Police- Officer, called a CPO forShort. A CPO is a wetland manager whose job is

to enforce the laws that prcitect our wetlands andother natural resources This is a big job thatCPO's cannot do all by themselves. They dependon all. Illinoisans to follow the law so our pieciousnatural resources will be safe. If you were a CPO,which of the following could you do to helpconserve wetlands? C) Give talks to school andcommunity groups about the laws that protectWetlands. C)Talk to people when they visitwetlands and tell them to follow the law and enjoythe wetlands safely:C)Give people tickets if theyviolate the law and explain.to them what theyhave done to harm wetlands. 0 Treat wetlandswith care when you visit them and tell others todo-the same. Can you thirik of some other thingyou could'do as a CPO to help conservewetlands?

Pretend you are a CPO. You are working today ina State Park where there is a large lake. As youare walkihg around the shore of the lake, you seesomeone dumping a truckload of garbage into the,lake. Is that legalTlf not, what would you tell theperson about how her actions are harming thewetland? Next, you encounter someone who haspoached a great blue heron and a least tern. Is it

-.legal that the person, has shot the heron? If not,how would you explain that to the person? Is itlegal that the person has shot the least tern? Ifnot, how would you explain that to the person?What would you tellthe person about how hisactions have damaged the wetland ecosystem?An hour or so after you leave that person, youmeet up with a hunter who has taken the legallimit Of hooded mergansers from the lake. Wouldyou tell the. hunter that he is helping to conservethe wetland by taking only the legal limit and bynot shooting protected animal species? Next youencounter a school group that is conductingWetland Sleuthwork at the lake. The studentswant to know how protection law violations effectwetlands. What would you tell them? What wouldyou tell theth about the solution to protection lawviolations? If the students-ask you why you thinkwetlands are valuable, what would you say?

61 59

Chapter 16

Wetland Sleuthwork

It is your mission in this' exercise to spy on awetland. To succeed, you need some spyequipment: The equipment you need are a pencil,paper, magnifying glass, binoculars, glass jar, adip net and a pan.. You also need a big dose ofspy-spirit because you are going to be sneakingabout a wetland looking and, listening, for everysign of life. Once you spot something, you needto describe and draw the evidence just as a spywould. Please remember to be sneaky. Once youenter the wetland, all of the animals will explode,into action. You will have to be quiet in order notto scare them away. To help you with yourinvestigation, you should use-the FIELD GUIDESin this kit., To begin your work, start at Part I.There are 5 parts. At the beginning of each part,study the target and mission clue box first. Youwill then know what part of the wetland you willbe spying 'on. Get going! Good luck!

Part ITARZ.U-r micSioN aye Bo7c

Strategy AStudy the HERB TYPE CHART below. The chartshows the four types of herbs in' the wetland.

Strategy BNow start your investigation of herbs. How' manyTYPE 1 herbu can you locate? how manyTYPE 2? TYPE 3? TYPE 4?Using your Herb Field Guide, identify as many ofthe herbs as you can. Prepare a Heil) Life Chartlike the sample 'on page 61 for each herb you see.

Strategy CLocate at least 5 different tree and Shrub species.'Try to collect one leaf and one fruit from eachtree or shrub you lobate. With your WoOdy PlantField Guide, can you identify any of the plants?.

Prepare a Woody Plant Life Chart like theone in the sample on page 61 for each shrub andtree and then move to Part II.

HERB TYPE CHART

Type #1. Emergent: Stems and leaves of these herbs stand above water.Type #2. Submerged: Stems and most leaves of these herbs are submerged or below the surface of the

water.Type #3. Rooted Floating: Leaves of these herbs float on surface. The herbs are rooted in the bottom.Type #4. Free Floating: Entire herb floats near, or at surface of water. It is not rooted in the bottom. Its

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Strategy AStart with the smallest but most numerousanimals, the invertebrates. Look across the sky ofthe wetland. Do you see any insects flying abovethe water? Move now to the plants. Canyou spy any insects, spiders, or snails on theleaves and.stems of plants? Examine thewater next. Do you see any insects like the waterstrider moving across the water surface?Bend down and look into the water. Can you seeany insects, worms, snails, or clams in the water?

Very carefully lift up some rocks or a log.Did you uncover any invertebrates? Asyou work, pay special attention to trying to findthe immature forms of insects. To help youidentify immature forms of insects check out theImmature Insect Chart on page.30. With yourInvertebrate Field Guide, try to ideptify any adultinvertebrates you see. Then prepare an Animal

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Strategy BTry to locate as many fish as you can. Do you seeany fish swimming near the shore? Doyou see any spawning areas on the bottom?

Look across the water surface for severalminutes. Can you see any fish jumping up to snaginsects? Do you see any of the circles that,fish make when they come to the surface to feed?

Using your Fish Field Guide, can youidentify any of the fish you have seen? Prepare anAnimal Life Chart for every fish you have.located.

Strategy CStand very quietly at the edge of the water androok for reptiles and amphibians. Can you see anytadpoles? Do you see or hear any toads orfrogs? Pick up some leaves and a fewrocks. Are there any salamanders or crayfishhiding beneath them? Do you see anyturtles basking on rocks or logs? Can youspy any snakes basking, swimming or crawlingthrough the grass or leaves? Using yourAmphibians and Reptiles Field Guilde, can you

. identify any of the animals you have located?. Prepare an Animal Life Chart for each animal youhave spied.

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Strategy A --Stand quietly by the shore and. listen. Can youhear the call or song of any bird? If so, itmay sound like the song of the commonyellowthroat illustrated at your right. Try todescribe any songs or calls you hear:

Strategy BScan the area around the wetland with yourbinoculars. If you don't have any binoculars,depend upon your keen eyesight. Can you see-any birds flying? ; swimming'stalking the shore? ; diving/ ; or

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Strategy CWalk slowly and carefully along the shore. Keepyour eyes pinned-to the ground to spot birdtracks. Check the Tracks Sample Box below.forsome of the tracks you might firkl. On a separatesheet of paper, draw all of the tracks you havelocated.

Strategy DBefore you leave this part, look for the nests ofbirds. Start with the shoreline vegetation. Peakvery carefully into several stands of herbs. Do youspy a nest? Move'next to the trees andshrubs. Can you see any nests located in theirbranches? REMEMBER: A GOODWETLAND SLEUTH DOES NOT HARM OR ,

TOUCH THE NEST OF ANY ANIMAL. THAT-ISITS HOME. Prepare a nest box like the one in thesample below for each nest you find.

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Strategy AStand very quietly at the shore. Do you see anymammals swimming? ; in the vegetation?

; or moving along the shore? Withyour Mammal Field Guide, can you identify any ofthe mammals you see? Prepare an AnimalLife Chart like the one in Part II for each mammalyou spy.

Strategy BWalk carefully along the shore and look for thetracks of mammals in the mud or sand. TheTracks Sample Box below will give you an idea ofwhat some mammals' tracks look like. Draw anytracks you find.'

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Strategy CAs you scour the shore line for tracks, look alsofor mammal feces or "scats". The scats of themuskrat are drawn here. Draw any scats you find.

The scats of the muskrat.'

Strategy DYour next assignment is to look for mammalshelters. Review page 48 of this kit, for the type ofshelters mammals use. Can you find or see amuskrat house? ; a beaver lodge'sor the. burrow of a mink or river otter in the bank ?.

Describe and draw any shelter you find.

Strategy ENow walk away from the wetland .1) the nearestnatural habitat. If you_walk into a grassland, lookfor mammals and the signs of mammals. Youmany be able to find the grass runway of a smallanimal like the meadow vole: If you walk into aforest, look for mammals and their tracks andscats.

Strategy FUse your Field Guide to identify any mammalsyou have seen in Part IV. Prepare an Animal LifeChart for each mammal and draw any tracksorscats you have found.

The grass runway of the meadow vole.

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Part VTARGET AND MiSSioNt ewe" Box

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Stategy AName the type of wetland habitat you areinvestigatingReview page if you need assistance.

Strategy BCheck out the water. If you have a thermometer,measure and write down the water temperature.

Do you see algae in the water? Now dip aglass jar into the water and then hold the jar ofwater up to the sun. Is the water clear? ; ormuddy? What do you see in the water?

The quality of the water Is very important for thewell-being of plants and animals. if the water isclear, sunlight can penetrate the water to reachplants so that they.can conduct photosynthesis.Clear water Is also good for the animals who mustsee food underwater and for those,who.c.se gillsto get oxygen. Do you think the water in thewetlan,d you are spying on is of good quality forplants and animals? Is the water in yourwetland moving? ; or still? Howdeep is the water a few feet out from the shore?

Are there waves?

Strategy CNow move to the wetland bottom. Take your dipnet and sweep it along the bottom. Be sure toscoop up some of the bottom. Then dump thecontents of the net into a pan. Is the bottom madeof mud? ; sand? ; or rocks?Are there leaves? Pick around in the panto observe everything in it. Draw and describeevery object or animal you dipped out from thebottom.

Strategy DNow look to the sky. The air is also art ;mportantpart of the wetland habitat. That is where water,carbon dioxide, and oxygen. are storod, Flying .

animals also use the air for travel spawa. Smell theair in your- wetland ; -Does it-smell clean?-Do you see any clouds in the air? Do yousee any animals traveling through the air?

Strategy ENow it is time for you to pull together the resultsof your wetland sleuthwork. In'the WetlandEcosystem Box below, the physical structure 'ofthe habitat, including the air, soil and water, isalready drawn. To complete your mission, draw inas many of the plants and animals you have seenin each of the four parts of your work: You canuse your Field. Guides and the' Giant ColoringPage to help you make your drawings. If youwant to, you can draw your Wetland ECosystemon a larger piece of paper, Once you are finished,you will be a Certified Wetland Sleuth. There is acard that will certify you as such a sleuth on page5 of this kit. Be sure to sign your name on. thecard. CONGRATULATIONS!

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