1. Forrest Ecology and Wildlife Conservation, grades 3 and 4, prepared by Phillip Drobnicki
1.) What isConservation?
Conservationissavingorprotectingaresource inorderto preserve andmaintainthatresource.
One part of Science Studieshowtoprotect andsave PlantsandAnimalsandtheirHabitat,thisis
calledConservationBiology.
3, 4 ESS Human Activity,Cause andEffect
2.) What Habitatsand Animalsdowe see aroundOaklandandthe Bay Areaof California?
Wetlandslike the BeachorMarsh have Birds and Small Rodents
Forestshave Deer,Raccoons,Squirrels,Otters,Fish
3-LS1: Develop Modelsto supportUniqueand Diverse Life Cycles
3-LS2: Ecosystemsand Interactions
3.) What isa Mammal? What CharacteristicsandAdaptationsdoall Mammalsshare?
Mammalshave:Hair, Milk,Vertebrae,WarmBloodandLive Birth
4 ,3-LS1 From Moleculesto Organisms:Structure and Process
3-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance andVariationofTraits
3-LS4 Biological Evolution:UnityandDiversity
4.) What Adaptationshave Ottersdevelopedtohelpthemswiminthe water?
Ottershave:WebbedFeetandHands,Skintoprotect theireyes,Oilyfurtokeepthemdry
4, 3-LS1-1 From Moleculesto Organisms:Structure and Process
3-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance andVariationofTraits
3-LS4 Biological Evolution:UnityandDiversity

2. 5.) How didthese Adaptationscome tobe? Whydo Otterslookthe way do?
Scientistslookatfossilsandfossilizedimprintsinlayersof rockto see how organismslookedin
the past. Scientistssawthata longtime ago,not all Ottershad WebbedFeet,“Goggles”orOilyFur,but
some of themdid. At some pointintime the landscape changedandthere were alot more riversand
lakesbeingformedaroundthe BayArea. Overtime,the Otterswhohad these adaptationswere ableto
swimbetterforcatchingfoodand avoidingpredators. The ottersthat didn’thave the adaptations
weren’tsogoodat findingfoodoravoidingpredation. Whathappenstothe slowerswimmingotters?
What happenstothe fasterswimmingotters?
3-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance andVariationofTraits
3LS3-1: Analyzeand Interpretdata to provideevidence thatplantsand animalshavetraits
inherited fromparentsand thatvariation of thesetraits existin a group of similar organisms.
3-LS4 Biological Evolution:UnityandDiversity
3-LS4-1: Analyzeand Interpretdata fromfossilsto provideevidenceof theorganismsand the
environmentsin which they lived long ago
3-LS4-2: UseEvidence to constructand explanation forhow thevariationsin characteristics
among individualsof thesamespecies may provideadvantagesin surviving
3-LS4-3: Constructan argumentwith evidencethatin a particularhabitatsomeorganismscan
survivewell and somecannotsurviveatall
4-LS1 FromMolecules to Organisms:Structure andProcess
4-LS1-1 Constructand argumentthatplantsand animalshaveinternaland externalstructures
thatfunction to supportsurvival,growth,reproduction
4-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe
4-ESS1-1 Identify evidencefrompatternsin rockformationsand fossilsin rock layersto support
and explanation forchangesin landscapeovertime
6.) What problemsdoOttersface livinginthe BayArea?
Pollution,Hunting,HabitatLossthroughDroughtandDeforestation
3-ESS3 Earth and HumanActivity
4-ESS3 Earth andHuman Activity

3. 7.) What solutionscanyouthinkof to helpconserve OttersandtheirHabitat?
Pollution: Ottersare an Indicator Species;Scientistscantell if anenvironmentishealthy
because Ottersonlylike tolive incleanwaterwithoutpollution. KeepsfuroilyandHealthyfood
for raisinglittle Otters. No pesticides orfertilizers whenitsrainyoutside
Hunting: CaliforniaOttersare protectedfromHunting. Duringthe GoldRushinthe 1800s many
otterswere huntedfortheirfurto be tradedor sold.
HabitatLoss: Protectingforestswhere Otterslive helpsmake sure there are alwayshomesfor
otters. Don’tcut downtoomany trees. Droughtleadstofires. Turn off sinkwhenbrushing
teeth,take shortshowers,don’twashyourcar/petwhen it’shotout because itusesmore
water.
3-ESS2 Earth’s Systems
3-ESS-2: Representdatain tablesand graphsto describe typicalweatherconditionsexpected
during a particularseason
3-ESS3 Earth andHuman Activity
3-Ess3-1: Makea claim aboutthe merit of a design solution thatreducesthe impactsof weather
related hazard
4 ESS3 Earth andHuman Activity
4-ESS-1: Generatemultiple solutionsto reducethe impactsof naturalEarth processeson
Humans

4. Vocabulary Words
Conservation Mammal
Adaptation Drought
Questions
1.) An _________________ isa trait thatan animal has whichhelpsitsurvive initshabitat.
2.) Whenthe regularamountof rainin an area changessothat there islessrainthan normal the
environmentbecomesdry,thisisknownas_______________.
3.) Humansand Ottersare typesof ___________ whichhave warmblood,live birth,hair,milkand
vertebrae.
4.) ________ ____ is whenpeople trytoprotectand save animals,plantsandtheirhabitats from
becomingextinct.
Matching: One of these river otters is healthy, it has a fish and really nice healthy looking fur.
The other Otter has no fish and its coat isn’t too healthy. Match the Adaptations to the correct
River Otter to show which one is the better swimmer and hunter.
 WebbedFeet
 Pawslike a dog
 Scaly Skin
 OilyFur
 Eye Flaps“Goggles”
 LivesinFamilyGroups
 LivesAlone
On the back of your piece of paperwrite downanyquestionsyoumayhave aboutconservationand
write downthree thingsyouhave learnedabouthow tohelpprotectthe environment!