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Vanishing habitats,
plants and animals
Illinois has an amazing variety of habitats and organisms. More than 90 habitats
and 53,000 organisms have been identified. Join us on a tour of five Illinois
habitats - forests, wetlands, prairies, rivers and caves. On this expedition,
we'll learn how to identify these habitats, their historical importance, locations
in the state and where you can find more information about each.
Our tour
will include information about a plant or animal common to the five types of
habitats. Then we'll learn about an endangered or threatened species from each
habitat. Without care, these plants and animals could "vanish" from
Illinois.
At the end
of your trek through this book you will learn how land managers and biologists
manage our natural resources to prevent further loss of habitats, plants and
animals.
What is a
"habitat"?
The area that a plant or animal lives in is called its habitat.
Habitats contain four basic components necessary for plants and animals
to survive. Food, water, cover and space must be present and appropriately
arranged. If any component is missing or has been altered, the plants
or animals will be affected. Define some
terms for me
Reading further in your book you will learn about Illinois plants and
animals that are threatened, endangered, extirpated or extinct. But first,
what do each of these terms mean?
A threatened species is any species likely to become endangered
in the foreseeable future. For example, the timber rattlesnake lives in
some woodlands, but its numbers are declining. (continued on next
page)
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| Introduction
to Endangered and Threatened Species (page 1
& 1a) |
| Prairie
Species (page 2,
3, 4
& 5) |
| Wetland Species
(page 6, 7,
8 & 9) |
| River Species
(page 10, 11,
12 & 13) |
| Forest Species
(page 14, 15,
16 & 17) |
| Cave Species
(page 18, 19,
& 20) |
| Management
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| Puzzle
Answers |
<<PREVIOUS
>>NEXT
[Classroom
Materials - Animals] [Classroom Materials
- Plants]
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