Wildlife

Hello,

Congratulations for finding the Envirothon information on my web page. The fact that you are here is an indication that you are taking an interest in this year's competition.

As we go through the classes for this year. You should revisit this site to refresh you memory on information covered and find information on the new material discussed in class.

As I mentioned, you will need to do some of this on your own. The motivation comes from you. You're not doing this for a grade, money, or to get out of class. You're doing this because it's neat to do and you want to show off against other schools. Go Team!

Go to Conservation District webpage here.

Scavenger Hunt #1

Wildlife:

Use this link to find information on Pennsylvania wildlife.

Wait for it...

Pennsylvania Wildlife for 2012

USE THIS LINK FOR WILDLIFE

Wood Rat	Wood Duck	Snow Goose
River Otter	Elk	Indigo Bunting
Black Bear	Bobwhite Quail	Beaver
Crows	Foxes	Pheasant
Woodpeckers	Woodchuck	Raccoon

Go here!

Below are some of the questions from past Envirothons. This should give you some idea of the kinds of questions that may be asked during the competition.

How many acres of Pennsylvania Game lands does the Game Commission cover?

How many years has the P.G.C. been operating?

Name two of the three weasels in Pennsylvania?

What is the only marsupial in Pennsylvania?

Name all the owl species in Pennsylvania.

How far can a skunk squirt musk?

Forestry:

First off, all you ever wanted to know about trees (and more) is here at the PA Dept of Forestry website.

What is the number one cause of wildfires in Pennsylvania?

What kind of forest is dominant in Pennsylvania?

What trees belong to the MADHorse group?

What is the disease that is threatening Pennsylvania’s state tree?

What is a board foot?

Tree identification here

Middle School Envirothon Concepts for Self Study

Soils:

Soils worksheet here

From the Soil Development handout, what are the following?

Soil- naturally occurring mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air

Soil formation-the breaking down of bedrock into smaller pieces and the mixing of that material to form soil

Drainage-varies depending on the particle size and make up of soils, sandy soils drain more quickly than soils that contain clay

Horizons- layers in the soil defined by A,B,C, and R; the differences defined by changes in material and the depth changes

Tilth-cultivated land, plowable land

pH-the measurement of soil acidity on a scale of 1-14, 1 being very acidic, 7 being neutral, and 14 being very basic;

textural triangle- a graphic way to show soil composition with differences of sand, silt, and clay

soil survey- a scientific analysis of soil composition, structure, and slope

slope- how much tilt there is to the land

soil survey designations- a coded way to describe soils by type, composition, and slope

soil quality- a measurement of soil materials, water, nutrients, and slope

ways to improve soil quality- agricultural techniques that increase the soils ability to produce crops

soil ecosystem- nutrients, materials, and living organisms within the soil

organic matter- material that comes from living or once living organisms

Dust Bowl- in the 1930's continuing drought and poor farming practices resulted in massive erosion in the country's Mid-west, the result was the creation of the Soil Conservation Service

Soil erosion- the removal of soil layers by natural means that results in a poorer quality soil

Maintaining cover- practices the cover the bare soil thereby reducing soil erosion

Conservation practices- a variety of techniques used to conserve the soil

BMP’s- best management practices

Aquatics: Here's some aquatic stuff!

See Ms. Flick's website for Aquatics information here.

Fish Identification PowerPoint here.

I.	Aquatic Ecology
	a.	Abiotic
		1.	Influence of water’s chemical properties on aquatic organisms
		2.	Influence of water’s physical properties on aquatic organisms
		3.	Influence of the surrounding land on a stream
		4.	Influence of the water cycle on the aquatic ecosystem
		5.	Identification of watersheds and river systems in Pennsylvania
		6.	Identification of stream order within a watershed
	b.	Biotic
		1.	Identification of aquatic organisms
		2.	Life cycles of aquatic organisms
		3.	Adaptations of aquatic organisms
		4.	Habitat needs of aquatic organisms
	c.	Community
		1.	Identification of aquatic and wetland environments
		2.	Functions and values of wetlands
		3.	Physical, chemical and biological changes in the stream continuum
		4.	Functional feeding groups of aquatic organisms and their niche in the stream continuum
		5.	Energy flow in aquatic food chains

II.	Aquatic Resource Issues
	a.	Human effects on the aquatic ecosystem
	b	Impact of water pollution on aquatic communities
	c.	Threatened and endangered species and their impact on biodiversity
	d.	Introduced and invasive species and their effects on the aquatic ecosystem

Fact Sheets
		A River Flows Through It Basics of Water Pollution Caddis Flies Clams and Mussels Crazy Crayfish Dobsonfly Dragons & Damsels ENA & ELPA Great Fishing Needs Great Habitat Macroinvertebrate Feeding Frenzy Mayflies Phytoplankton Pond/Stream Study Guide & Key to Macroinvertebrates Snails Stoneflies Stream Reader Water Walkers Zooplankton

3.	Select Pages from PLAY
		ANS - From Here to There ANS - PA’s Least Wanted ANS - PA’s Ten Least Wanted ANS - Protecting Pennsylvania Aquatic Leaf Eaters Focus on Habitat: Largemouth Bass Focus on Habitat: Wild Brook Trout (Part 1) Focus on Habitat: Wild Brook Trout (Part 2) Six Ways to the Sea Water Cycle
4.	Articles
		A Fish and Livestock Tale Fish Habitat and Flow: What’s the Connection Migratory Fish Restoration On the Road To Extinction PA’s Threatened and Endangered Fishes Timbering and Trout Wetlands: The Vital Link

Identification Study List

Fish	Amphibians	Reptiles	Invertebrates
American eel American shad Atlantic sturgeon Blacknose dace Bluegill Brown bullhead Brook trout Brown trout Chain pickerel Channel catfish Common carp Flathead catfish Largemouth bass Muskellunge Northern pike Paddlefish Rainbow trout Rock bass Sea lamprey Smallmouth bass Striped bass Walleye White sucker Yellow perch	Bullfrog* Eastern American toad* Eastern gray treefrog* Pickerel frog* Northern green frog* Northern leopard frog* Northern spring peeper* Wood frog* Eastern Hellbender Jefferson salamander Longtail salamander Marbled salamander Mudpuppy Northern dusky salamander Northern red salamander Redback salamander Red-spotted newt Spotted salamander	Bog turtle Common snapping turtle Eastern box turtle Map turtle Midland painted turtle Red eared slider Spotted turtle Wood turtle Northern coal skink Northern fence lizard Black rat snake Eastern garter snake Eastern hognose snake Eastern massasauga Eastern milk snake Northern copperhead Northern garter snake Northern ringneck snake Northern water snake Timber rattlesnake	Amphipod (scud) Backswimmer Caddisfly** Crayfish Cranefly Dobsonfly (hellgrammite) Dragonfly Freshwater mussel Freshwater snail Giant water bug Isopod (aquatic sowbug) Mayfly Predaceous diving beetle Stonefly** Water strider Whirligig beetle Water boatman Water penny Zebra mussel

Helpful links:

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/ Click "Education", then 2006 Envirothon Information, then look around.

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