HOMES AREHABITATS TOO!
THEREAREDIFFERENTKINDSOFHABITATS,
WHEREANIMALSANDHUMANSLIVETOGETHER
Disappearinghabitats
Whenhumans take over or change habitats inorder togrow foodor to construct houses,many
times this can affect the ability of these habitats to support the species of plants and animals that
live there. This threatens these animals andplants—leaving themwith less and less areawhere
they can live.
By learningmore about habitats andparticipating inprograms, humans can also help save these
habitats. Some simple things you cando that will help savedisappearinghabitats:
• Pick up litter andmake sure that youdispose of trash in the correct areas
• The three ‘R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle
• Learn about disappearinghabitats and tell others about them
What is anecosystem?
Plants and animals rely on eachother to survive. Plants and animals that live together in the
same area or environment are called an ecosystem. An ecosystem is kindof like a community,
where eachplant or animal has a specific role that works to keep the ecosystemhealthy.
Threemainparts that work to keep an ecosystemhealthy areproducers, decomposers,
and consumers.
PRODUCER
CONSUMER
DECOMPOSER
Producersmake their own food and
energy through chemical processes
(likephotosynthesis). Producers are
thebuildingblocks of an ecosystem.
Consumers dependonother animals or
plants for food and energy. They include
herbivores, carnivores, andomnivores.
Decomposers also feedonother plants
on animals for energy, but often they
leavebehind a lot of nutrients and
unused energy in the soil, which is in
turn usedby producers to restart the
wholeprocess of the ecosystem.
Most plants areproducers.
•Herbivores eat only plants
•Carnivores eat onlymeat
•Omnivores eat bothmeat
andplants
Worms, bacteria, andother
microorganisms (living things that are
so small you cannot see them) work as
decomposers by breakingdowndead
plants and animals so that their nutrients
can return to the ecosystem.
Sometimes if a newplant or animal is introduced to an ecosystem
when it does not belong, it can createproblems for the ecosystem
by competingwith the other plants or animals for food, water, space
or shelter. This iswhy it is always good tobe careful whenbringing a
plant or animal into a newplace.
Ismyhouseanecosystem?
Yes, your home is an ecosystem! Particularly if you have a garden
where yougrowplants for your family to eat! Theplants that yougrow
in your garden are theproducers of your ecosystem. Your family and
other animals that live aroundor in your house that eat theseplants are
the consumers of the ecosystem. Youmay compost your foodwaste,
which is oneway that decomposers such asworms,mushrooms and
other bacteria can return the nutrients from foodback into the soil.
This soil is thenused togrowmoreplants, continuing the cycle!
What is thedifferencebetweenawildanimal
andapet?
Domestic animals (or pets) havebeenbred formany,many
years toget alongwithhumans. Our pets havebeen specially
bred to have certain traits such as friendliness and trainability.
Think about thedifferencebetween a lion
and a house cat, whichonedo you think
is domestic?Whichonedo you think
iswild?Wild animals, while theymay sometimes look like andbe related
toour pets, have instincts (such as hunting instincts) that help them to
survive and take care of themselves.
Note:Whilepets are friendly creatures, if youdoget bit,make sure to tell an adult.Washwith
soap andwater and call your doctor. Parents should also call their animal control shelter in
order tomake sure that the animal is contained and evaluated for health.
WILD DOMESTIC
Wolf
Dog
Lion
Cat
Pheasant
Chicken
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED
A RABBIT AS A PET?
Rabbits canbewonderful pets, andwith
attentive care theywill live long and happy
lives. A healthy bunny should live about 10
years, so choosing a rabbit as apet is a real
commitment! If you are considering a rabbit
(or other animal) as a classroompet, there are
some very important things to consider such as:
Whowill take the rabbit during the summer?On
theweekends? It is also important to remember
that rabbits are animals and not toys. Rabbits
are small anddelicate, whichmeans it is easy
for them toget hurt if they aredroppedor held
wrong. Fostering is a great option to look into
if you are interested in tryingout abunny as a
classroompet for a shorter timeperiod.
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER9, 2016 |
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