Interdependence Reports
Now that we have completed our BioBlitz surveys and learned about the different relationships in nature, we will start looking at the relationships among the various members of the Promega Woods or Prairie communities. You will be assigned two organisms, including a plant and/or fungus and an animal from these two sites to research. Using the various links attached to this page, you will be able to start creating a list of the different types of relationships your plant or animal has with the other members of the community.
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Keep in mind that several of the links show relationships with organisms that are and are NOT listed in our survey. Remember that you must only discuss the relationships with members of the communities we studied. For example, the red-tailed hawk may eat snakes, but we did not find a snake, so you would not list the hawk-snake in your predator-prey relationships. You would list the hawk-robin as a predator-prey relationship because we did list the robin in our survey. |
Use these 2 guides first!!
- Illinois Wildflowers - probably your best source for community habitat information. Many of these species are also native to Wisconsin. Look for the section called "Faunal Associations," which describes which animals interact with the plant you are researching. Note that this section includes some tables that give more information on the animals. You don't need to write down EVERY organism, but a representative sample is okay. But you do need to make sure that the animal is native to our area. My suggestion is to copy the scientific name and paste it along with the word "Wisconsin" into the search bar and see if the animal is indeed native to our area.
- BioKids Critter Catalog (this is a really nice catalog that focuses on our next door state, Michigan, but many of these species are also found in Wisconsin). This will give you some information about the ecology of that animal. There are other helpful websites listed below, but, again, you need to make sure that the organism is found in our area.
Plants
UW Plant Guide - good descriptions, but not as good as Illinois website for community habitat information
Wisconsin Tree Identification Dichotomous key - great for trying to figure out the species of a tree Wisconsin plant identification - common plants to Wisconsin, good photos, not much community interaction information Wisconsin Wildflowers - this guide has good photos for identification, but isn't a good resource for habitat information Dichotomous key for identifying ferns - a bit advanced for 3/4's Fern & Fern Ally guides
Simple guide for identifying ferns - This guide leads you to photos where you may try to identify your fern
Dichotomous key for identifying ferns - a bit too advanced for 3/4's, but more exact Fungi Guides
Wisconsin Mushrooms - a bit easier to navigate
Wisconsin Fungi (this one is very difficult to navigate) UW Plant & Fungi Teaching Collection (also very difficult to navigate) |
Animal Guides
BugGuide to Arthropods Wisconsin Bee Identification Guide that also talks about their ecology Animal Diversity Web BioKids Critter Catalog (this is a really nice catalog that focuses on our next door state, Michigan, but many of these species are also found in Wisconsin) Cornell Lab of Ornithology (probably the best bird website ever for birds all over the world) Wisconsin DNR Critter Corner (this website has only general information - pretty basic, but a good start)
Mollusk & Annelid Guides
Terrestrial Snails of Wisconsin - this site is more of an identification site, but can have some links about habitat
Land snails - this guide has links to several great (long) pages on their diet, predators & defenses, etc. Even though they are talking about Pennsylvania land snails, the one we have at our site is also found in PA. Zonitoides species of land snail fact sheet (includes Z. arboreus, which is likely the one we found in Promega woods) Field Key to Wisconsin slugs Wikipedia information on land slugs Man & Mollusk - this site has a "Kids Zone" |