activity book - oomph-wellness.org
TRANSCRIPT
Biodiversity Fact File
Biodiversity means the variety of life of earth. The word itself
comes from ‘bio’ referring to living things and ‘diversity’ meaning
variety. There are two ways to look at biodiversity. Firstly, the
variety of environments on our planet, such as mountains, seas,
forests, deserts, grasslands, etc. Secondly, is the variety of
species found in each of these environments –different types of
plants, animals and other organisms.
Across the globe, biodiversity is in decline.
Scientists have estimated that we have lost
60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since
1970 and predict 1 million species are
threatened with extinction over the coming
decades to centuries. However, not all species
are in decline. Some are doing well. It’s all
about how vulnerable they are to change.
Some environments have a higher variety
of species than others. When there are
lots of different species living in one place,
there is high biodiversity. If there are only
a few species, there is low biodiversity.
The amount of life on Earth has changed over its 4.5 billion year
lifespan. There have been times when there was no life at all and
times when there are billions and billions of species. 50 years ago
there was much higher biodiversity then there is now.
Biodiversity Fact File
Where species live, what they eat and how much they are impacted
by human activities can all affect how well they do. Research has
suggested that marine species are disappearing faster than land
species. Without significant changes, more than half of the world’s
marine species may be on the brink of extinction by 2100.
Since 1970 the human population
has doubled. This has led to
pollution, destruction of natural
habitats, over-fishing and hunting,
competition from invasive species
and climate change.
Species aren’t able to adapt quickly enough to these changes and
the result is widespread biodiversity loss. This is a concern as
biodiversity provides us with the clean air, fresh water, food and
resources that we need. It helps us fight climate change by taking
carbon dioxide from the air.
Governments from all around the
world are co-operating to try to
halt the loss and restore
biodiversity. For example, rules
can be set around farming,
fishing, mining, house building
and the many other activities
impacting natural environments.
Biodiversity Bingo
How many different types of plants and animals do you think live
near you? If you go outside or look out of the window, you may be
surprised by the variety of life all around you. Why not use this
sheet to see how many of the bingo boxes you can tick off?
Biodiversity Wordsearch
NATURE
EXTINCT
ENVIRONMENT
WILDLIFE
SUSTAINABLE
CLIMATE
CONSERVATION
VARIETY
RESTORE
BIODIVERSITY
HABITAT
SPECIES
Coastal Butterfly Identification
A range of different butterflies can be spotted in coastal habitats
such as sand dunes and grasslands or woodland edges. Size,
colour and markings can all help with identification.
One of the earliest butterflies to
appear in spring. The male is white
with orange wing tips and a black
spot. When the wings are closed it has
a distinctive mottled green pattern.
Look out for patches of wild garlic or
cuckoo flower which its caterpillars
feed on.
Orange Tip
Red Admiral
Distinctive large black butterfly
with a red stripe across its
forewings and red fringing on its
hind wings. Emerging around
July it flies until November. It is
found in a wide range of
habitats. The common nettle is
the favourite foodplant of the
larvae.
Peacock
Like peacock feathers it has striking
big blue eyespots on its fore and hind
wings which evolved to startle
predators. It’s one of our most
common butterflies and is widespread.
Its larvae feed on common nettles.
© Susan Davies
Small Tortoiseshell
One of the first butterflies to
emerge in spring. It is medium
sized, reddish-orange in colour with
a ribbon of blue and black markings
bordering the fringes of its wings.
Males are territorial and may be
seen chasing each other around
their habitats.Wall Brown
On the wing between April to
October this butterfly is found in
sunny places such as open
grassland, sand dunes and rocky
foreshore. It basks in the reflected
sun on walls, paths and bare
patches of earth to heat itself up.
Coastal Butterfly Identification
Small Skipper
Common Blue
You’ll be lucky to find this small,
orange winged butterfly. It can be
found basking or flitting through
rough grassland and sand dunes in
the peak of summer, feeding on
knapweeds and thistles.
The male has bright blue wings with a
white fringe, the female is browner
and secretive. This species likes
sheltered spots within coastal dunes
and undercliffs. You may spot it
feeding on plants such as clover and
yellow bird’s foot trefoil plant.
Coastal Butterfly Identification
Small Copper
Beautiful copper coloured forewings
with dark brown flecks and fringing. It
flies from April to October and can be
found feeding on ragwort and thistles.
The males are territorial and will bask
on bare ground or stones waiting on
females to pass.
Images © Iain Cowe - orange tip, common blue, small copper and Susan Davies—red admiral, peacock, small
tortoiseshell, wall brown and small skipper
Food Chain Craft
Puffins may be cute seabirds but they are predators. They get energy by eating prey (other animals) like fish. Fish are also predators because they eat plankton (microscopic plants and animals). The movement of energy from one living thing to another in this way is called a food chain. Create your own hanging food chain by following the instructions below.
Print out the template (found further on the activity pack) and colour in the puffin, fish and plankton. (There’s no need to colour the centre of the puffin).
Cut out the puffin, fish and plankton.
Poke a hole in the centre of the puffin and cut out the centre.
Food Chain Mobile Craft
Make sure the fish hangs in the middle of the puffin’s stomach, then stick the string down on the back of the puffin’s head with Sellotape.
Using a hole punch, make a hole at the top of your puffin and the fish, then thread wool or string through both holes and tie at the end.
Stick the plankton onto the fish (as shown in the image).
Word Challenge
How many smaller words can you make from the word:
BIODIVERSITYLook at the letters in the word above. Can you choose and
rearrange letters to make new shorter words? Below are a
few of examples to get you started.
dive
in
yes
Biodiversity True or False
1. Biodiversity was higher 50
years ago than it is now
True or False
2. Climate change does not
impact upon biodiversity
True or False
3. When a species disappears it
is said to be ‘extinct’
True or False
4. Human activity can affect the
variety of wildlife close by
True or False
5. Pollution can help to increase
the biodiversity of our planet
True or False
6. A food chain is a series of
organisms each dependent upon
the next for food
True or False
7. The more species that exist,
the greater the biodiversity
True or False
8. The world’s human population
has fallen in recent decades
True or False
9. Marine habitats have not
experienced any biodiversity loss
True or False
10. We can all play a part in
helping to save biodiversity
True or False
1.True 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False. 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. False 10. True
Rockpool Matching Game
A diverse range of plants and animals can be found in a single
rockpool. How many species can you identify? Have a go at
matching the photo to the species name below by drawing a line
between each pair.
Learn more about wildlife here:
www.seabird.org/wildlife
Crab
Starfish
Limpet
Seaweed
Anemone
Mussels