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  • Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays: Lodgepole Pine Adaptation to Different Environmental Conditions
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Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays: Lodgepole Pine Adaptation to Different Environmental Conditions

  • Article
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Climate
  • Wilderness
  • Adaptation
  • Biomass
  • Climate
  • Elevation
  • Graphing data
  • Lodgepole Pine
  • Photosynthesis
Illustration of scientist taking notes on a tree in the summer time in one half, and the other half during the winter.
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Sunlight is the source of energy for plants, which create food through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs in the foliage, or the green leaves or needles, of a plant. The amount of food a plant can produce is partly dependent on the amount of its leaf or needle surface area. The scientist in this study wanted to test her hypothesis that pines growing at higher elevations adapt to these harsher environmental conditions by growing needles that live for more years than needles growing at lower elevations.

Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays: Lodgepole Pine Adaptation to Different Environmental Conditions

Part Of

Rocky Mountain - Vol. 2 No. 1

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  • In this set of two FACTivities, you will first compare a cactus, a fern, and another plant you select to determine how the plants are adapted to their native environments....

    FACTivity – Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Adaptation
    • Cactus
    • Compare and Contrast
    • Ferns
    • Graphing
    • Indoor Activity
    • Observation
    • Outdoor Activity
    In this set of two FACTivities, you will first compare a cactus, a fern, and another plant you select to determine how the plants are adapted to their native environments....
    Explore Activity Download FACTivity (PDF)
    Explore Activity Download FACTivity (PDF)

    Part Of

    Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays: Lodgepole Pine Adaptation to Different Environmental Conditions

  • Test your knowledge on photosynthesis, biomass, and elevation.

    Word Search – Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays

    • Activity
    • Middle School
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Wilderness
    • Photosynthesis
    • Vocabulary
    Test your knowledge on photosynthesis, biomass, and elevation.
    Explore Activity Download Word Search (PDF) Answer Key (PDF)
    Explore Activity Download Word Search (PDF) Answer Key (PDF)

    Part Of

    Finding Ways to Soak Up the Rays: Lodgepole Pine Adaptation to Different Environmental Conditions

Glossary

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  • adapt

    (ǝ dapt): To change so as to fit a new or specific use or situation.

  • biomass

    (bī ō mas): The amount of living matter (in a unit area or volume of habitat).

  • crown

    (krau̇n): The highest part of the leaves and branches of a tree or shrub.

  • elevation

    (e lǝ vā shǝn): The height above sea level.

  • foliage

    (fō lē ij): The mass of leaves of a plant or plants.

  • hypothesize

    (hī pä thǝ sīz): To make an assumption or idea that is proposed for the sake of argument so that it can be tested to see if it might be true.

  • photosynthesis

    (fō tō sin thǝ sǝs): The process by which plants (and some bacteria and protists) that contain chlorophyll make carbohydrates from water and from carbon dioxide in the air in the presence of light.

  • A black and white photo of Dr. Anna Schoettle in a grassy field.

    Anna Schoettle

    Ecophysiologist

    “I like being a scientist because it is fun to ask questions, solve problems, and discover new information about plants and ecosystems.” “My favorite science experience is exploring the relationships...
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Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • Science, Technology, and Society

Note To Educators

The Forest Service's Mission

The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.

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What Is the Natural Inquirer?

Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.

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  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

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  • Findings & Discussion

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  • Reflection Section

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  • Number Crunches

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  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • FACTivity

    Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.


Science Education Standards

You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.


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