Fabulous Floodplain
INTRODUCTION
Listen to Ranger Jim introduce the floodplain forest!
I Wonder...
What is an ecosystem?
What kind of ecosystem is found along the Mississippi River?
How are river animals adapted to life in the river and the floodplain forest?
Vocabulary
Click the drop-down list to know your FLOODPLAIN FOREST words!
abiotic – nonliving
biotic – living
community – all the populations of living organisms that live in the same place and interact with each other
consumer – an animal that eats plants (primary consumer) or other animals (secondary consumer)
decomposer – an organism that breaks down dead plants and animals to recycle nutrients back into the environment
ecosystem – an area of the planet where living and non-living things interact with each other
food chain – the series of organisms that depend on one another for food; the way energy is transferred from one organism to the next
food web – several food chains that are interconnected
habitat – a place where a plant or animal lives that has the basic needs of survival: food, water, shelter, and space in a suitable arrangement
interdependent – dependent or relying upon each other, the interrelationships of organisms with one another and with the nonliving elements in its habitat
niche – the unique function or role of a given species within a community
organism – any living plant or animal
photosynthesis – the process green plants use to convert the sun’s energy to sugars and starches (food)
population – all the organisms of the same species that live in the same habitat
producer – an organism that produces its own food; green plants
species – a population of plants or animals that are alike and breed naturally only among themselves
Click and play the floodplain forest WORD SEARCH puzzle!
LEARN IT!
What in the world is a floodplain forest?
WATCH: Floodplain Forests of the Upper Mississippi
Watch the video to find out what a floodplain forest is and how this amazing ecosystem within the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area creates a great community for both plants and animals, and how humans have learned to adapt to it.
Source: Center for Global Environmental Education, Hamline University
SLIDES: The Fabulous Floodplain Forest!
Learn what a floodplain forest is like in our national park, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Read instructions and click on the red 'Next' arrows to advance slides for best results. You can also expand to a larger screen.
Floodplains are not just in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. They are all around the world. Click on the picture below to read more about what makes floodplains both a challenge and an opportunity for living things.
Source: National Geographic (note higher reading level)
DO IT!
Every neighborhood and backyard has evidence of habitat that's part of an ecosystem. What organisms live near you? Find out by completing a fun outdoor activity!
ACTIVITY: Create a Habitat Map
Read through the activity and follow the given instructions for best results. Use the Backyard Field Guide resource (below) to help you!
RESOURCE: Backyard Field Guide
Use this guide to find and identify species in your neighborhood or backyard when doing the 'My Backyard Habitat Map' activity. Click on topics to reveal lists to help you discover what species may be in your neighborhood.
KNOW IT!
Take this quick self-assessment to see what you know about ecosystems and habitats.
Try to answer each question, then click its drop-down menu to see the correct answer.
Why are floods beneficial to the floodplain forest ecosystem?
A. Floods deposit silt and nutrients from the river to the land
B. Plants, like the cottonwood, are dependent on the flood cycle for their seeds to grow
C. Floods allow fish to move from the river to lakes to lay their eggs
D. All of the above
Answer: D, All of the above
Floods provide many benefits to the floodplain including providing habitat and spawning area for fish, aiding tree growth and reproduction, and bringing new nutrients to the land.
True or False: Historically, the Mississippi River was a winding, shallow river with lots of islands and back channels.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A, True
Humans have made many changes to the Mississippi River including installing a system locks and dams along it to make navigation easier. Today, the river is wider, straighter, and deeper than it was in the past.
A cottonwood tree has many adaptations that help it survive and thrive in the floodplain forest. Name two adaptations of the cottonwood tree that help it survive during floods.
Answer: Will vary but possible answers include floating seeds, quick growth rate, or lenticels
Cottonwoods have many adaptations but these are a few of the most common. Floating seeds allow the seeds to disperse throughout the floodplain and they can float on the flood waters until they recede and then land in nutrient rich silt left behind by the flood waters. Cottonwoods are one of the fastest growing tree species- this rapid growth rate helps the tree quickly reach a size that is more tolerant to flooding that younger, smaller trees. Lenticels are holes in the trees trunk that allow a tree to exchange gases even when its roots are flooded.
Choose the best definition of an ecosystem:
A. A part of Minnesota where non-living things interact with each other
B. A part of the planet where fish and birds interact with each other
C. A part of Sun where living and non-living things interact with each other
D. A part of the planet where living and non-living things interact with each other
Answer: D
An ecosystem in any part of the planet where certain kinds of living and non-living things interact. Examples include; tropical rain forest, coral reefs, and floodplain forests.
Which of the following is abiotic?
(Hint: check vocabulary section)
A. Soft shelled turtle
B. Cottonwood tree
C. Water
D. Wood duck
Answer: C
Abiotic mean non-living, and Biotic means living. Water is a non-living thing.
All of the following are abiotic EXCEPT:
(Hint: check vocabulary section)
A. Algae
B. Rocks
C. Water
D. Sand
Answer: A
Abiotic mean non-living, and Biotic means living. Algae is a living thing.
A beaver is well adapted to life in the floodplain forest. Which of the following is NOT a beaver adaptation?
A. Strong teeth for chewing bark
B. Warm, water resistant fur
C. River current
D. Building a dam
Answer C
An adaptation is any body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in its habitat. The river current is part of the floodplain forest ecosystem, but it is not a beaver body part of behavior
Which of the following is a plant you would find in the floodplain forest?
A. Cottonwood tree
B. Prairie Cactus
C. Palm tree
D. White Pine
Answer: A, Cottonwood Tree
Cottonwoods, Silver Maples, Emerald Ash, Elm, and Willow are all trees that have adapted to the flooding of the northern Mississippi River.
Which of the following is an animal you would NOT find in the floodplain forest?
A. Muskrat
B. Green heron
C. Painted turtle
D. Bighorn sheep
Answer: D
Bighorn sheep are adapted to a cold life in the mountains.
The ecosystem we call the "floodplain forest" gets its name because...
A. It is a forest that grows near the Great Plains
B. The trees there are submerged in water all year long
C. Every spring, snow melt and rain cause the river to flood into the forest next to it
D. The trees there are deciduous trees that shed their leaves each fall
Answer: C
The forests alongside the river are adapted to periodic flooding, usually in the spring and early summer.
