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Purpose:
You will learn how to conduct a habitat assessment, then
perform an actual assessment, either on your own school
grounds or at a study area near the school. To simulate
your assessments, we have included photos of actual river
sites form the Merced River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Directions/Activities:
1)
(15-20 minutes) Read paragraph, "Habitat
Sweet Habitat", (included) and respond to the directions
either in writing or through a brief class discussion.
2)
(45 minutes) You will now learn how to evaluate the suitability
of a stream site as a home for the non-human members for
our natural world. You should begin by reading "Information
Sheet "A", components of a Habitat Assessment,"
and answering the questions at the end of the section.
3)
(45 minutes) Using the Habitat Assessment survey sheet provided
("Students Activity"), you will next complete one or two
(time permitting) habitat assessments based on actual
photos taken along the Merced River.
4)
(After school or all-day field trip, depending on travel
time to study site) Again, using the provided assessment
survey sheet, you may now complete an actual on-site habitat
assessment on a living stream/river.
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Vocabulary:
Riparian Zone, Riparian Vegetation, Emergent Vegetation,
Benthic, Invertebrates, Macroinvertebrates, Habitat Assessment,
Parameters, Substrate, Embeddedness, Non-point source pollution.
List
of on-line materials:
Career
Explorations:
Limnologist,
Ichthyologist, Ecologist, Geologist, Toxicologist, Biochemist,
Entomologist
Evaluation:
Your teacher will organize you into a team of 2-3 students.
You will be supplied with a photograph of a stream habitat
as well as another Habitat Assessment Sheet. You are to
complete a final Habitat Assessment to determine your ability
to assess a stream habitat accurately.
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