Adaptations of Plants and Animals for Survival

Science - Survival and Adaptations
Day 4

TODAY’S TARGET: Recognize characteristics of plants and animals in Florida freshwater wetlands such as cypress swamps.

Multiple Choice

A producer is a living thing that makes its own food from sunlight, air, and soil.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A consumer is a living thing that cannot make its own food.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A decomposer is a living thing that gets energy by breaking down dead plants and animals.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The base of a cypress tree spreads out. This spreading base is called a “buttress.” The purpose of the cypress tree’s buttresses is to:

• supply water to the tree

• supply nutrients to the tree

• supply food for the tree

• provide support for the tree

Cypress swamps are a forested wetland that can be found all over Florida. A swamp is a wetland dominated by trees. In the cypress swamp, the cypress tree is the dominant plant. Cypress trees are conifers, or cone-bearing plants. Conifers reproduce by producing seeds in cones rather than flowers. The cypress is a unique conifer: it is the only conifer which is also a deciduous tree. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall. Cypress trees have needles rather than leaves, but each fall, the needles of the bald cypress turn brown in response to the changing season and fall off. When days get longer and warmer in the spring, the cypress will grow new needles in response to this seasonal change.​

​Florida Habitat: The Cypress Swamp

Multiple Choice

A swamp is a wetland dominated by _________.

• grass

• flowers

• trees

• water

Multiple Choice

Cypress trees are __________, or cone-bearing plants

• swamps

• conifers

• roots

• flowers

Multiple Choice

Deciduous trees _________ in the fall.

• shed their leaves

• have cones

• spread seeds

• die

Multiple Choice

Cypress swamps are a __________ wetland that can be found all over Florida.

• watery

• grassy

• forested

• empty

​One characteristic that enables the cypress tree to survive in its wetland environment are the roots.
- Roots provide support to hold a plant up.
- Because the soil in a swamp is wet, the roots of a cypress tree spread out at the bottom to provide even more support so the tree doesn’t fall over.

Plants also need some oxygen to survive, which they get from their roots.
- Because the roots of a cypress tree can be underwater all or part of the year, parts of the root will grow up above the water.
- These roots parts are called knees.

Multiple Choice

Roots provide _________ to hold a plant up

• support

• water

• life

• sunlight

Multiple Choice

Plants get _________ from their roots.

• food

• water

• carbon dioxide

• oxygen

​The Barred Owl

​This barred owl was resting on the branch of a cypress tree in Big Cypress.
- The owl is a bird, and is considered a “bird of prey.”
- This means that it is a carnivore and hunts for its food.

It is easy to see from this picture how the barred pattern of its feathers camouflage the owl.
- The owl’s eyesight and very powerful hearing allow it to find prey, usually mice, rats, squirrels, and other small mammals.
- The owl has talons, or claws, that are shaped to help it capture its prey.
- The feathers of an owl are silent in flight: the owl’s prey can’t hear this silent predator coming!

Multiple Choice

Barred Owls are ___________ and hunt for their food at night.

• producers

• carnivores

• decomposers

• blind

Multiple Choice

Barred Owls use the physical adaptation of ____________ to survive in their environment.

• hibernation

• migration

• camouflage

• mimicry

​-The sharp, curved talons of the barred owl are a characteristic that enables the helps the owl capture its prey. - The owl can sit in a branch, and listen for the sound of prey animals below. Its hearing is so powerful it can locate its prey without seeing it.
- The owl swoops down silently and grabs its prey with its talons.

Multiple Choice

An adaptation of a barred owl is

• Short tail feathers for a quick change in direction

• Short legs for maximum speed

• Specialized feathers for a silent flight

• Long wingspan to hit rodents

Multiple Choice

The Barred Owl's _______ is so powerful it can locate its prey without seeing it.

• eyesight

• hearing

• flying ability

• camouflage

​Food Chain in a Cypress Swamp

In a cypress swamp, the energy of the Sun is transformed into food by the cypress tree. The tree stores food in its cones. Squirrels will pick the cones from a cypress tree, and sit in a branch to pull the cone apart to eat the seeds inside. Nearby, a barred owl sits in a branch of another tree nearby, and swoops down to grab the squirrel. The energy of the Sun is transformed by the cypress tree, a producer, and then passed to the squirrel. The squirrel’s energy is finally transferred to the barred owl.​

Multiple Choice

The energy of the Sun is transformed by the cypress tree, a ___________, and then passed to the squirrel.

• producer

• consumer

• carnivore

• omnivore

Multiple Choice

What is a Carnivore?

• Animal that eats only plants

• Animal that eats only meat

• Animal that eats both plants and meat

Multiple Choice

What is an Omnivore?

• Animal that eats only plants

• Animal that eats both plants and meat

• Animal that eats only meat

Multiple Choice

What is a Herbivore?

• Animal that eats only plants

• Animal that eats both plants and meat

• Animal that eats only meat

Multiple Choice

The cypress tree stores ________ in its cones.

• nuts

• food

• energy

• fat

Multiple Choice

Crayfish are often found in the water of a cypress swamp, and provide food for birds of prey such as a barred owl or a red shouldered hawk. Which of the following characteristics is BEST suited for helping a bird of prey get its food?

• Sharp, long claws

• Strong talons for gripping prey

• Wide, webbed feet

• Long toes that spread out