Mangrove Mania: How Elevation Change and Sea-Level Rise Affect Mangrove Forests
Mangrove forests include trees and shrubs found in the tropics that have large root structures and create barriers that help protect coastlines. The mangrove forests provide protection for the villages, agricultural areas, and other things on the island. Because the mangrove forests are so important, the scientists in the study wanted to know how different elevation changes on the islands and sea-level rise affect mangrove forests.
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All the world’s ice can be divided into two types: sea ice (icebergs) and sheet ice (ice on land). Although both types of ice are at risk of melting if...FACTivity – Mangrove Mania
All the world’s ice can be divided into two types: sea ice (icebergs) and sheet ice (ice on land). Although both types of ice are at risk of melting if...
Glossary
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Ken W. Krauss
My favorite science experience is working directly with land managers to communicate the results of our scientific studies. Sharing this information helps the managers make important land management decisions. I...View Profile -
Jim Allen
My favorite science experiences have been those that involve the opportunity to discover new things about forests. I enjoy working with the people who depend on the forests I’ve studied....View Profile -
Katherine Ewel
My favorite science experience was working with people in another culture to help them see their natural environment from a different viewpoint. Making the right management decisions often depends on...View Profile -
Nicole Cormier
My favorite science experience has been traveling and working on tropical islands like those in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). I have been fortunate to work in old growth...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- Culture
- Global Connections
- Individual Development and Identity
- People, Places, and Environments
- Production, Distribution, and Consumption
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
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.
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.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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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.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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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.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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In this lesson, students will increase their reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and summarization and explanation skills. Students will role-play as members of the Natural Inquirer Twitter Team (now X...Lesson Plan – Twitter Team
In this lesson, students will increase their reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and summarization and explanation skills. Students will role-play as members of the Natural Inquirer Twitter Team (now X... -
This lesson plan can be paired with any of the cultural essays from the Hawai’i-Pacific Islands edition of Natural Inquirer. After a brief introduction, students will read the cultural essay...Lesson Plan – Cultural Essay
This lesson plan can be paired with any of the cultural essays from the Hawai’i-Pacific Islands edition of Natural Inquirer. After a brief introduction, students will read the cultural essay...
Education Files
Unity in Diversity
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is made up of 607 islands. These islands are located in the Central Pacific Ocean. Four states make up the FSM: Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk, and Yap. The total population of the FSM is approximately 100,000, and the official language is English. People living on these islands, however, speak eight major native languages: Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Nukuoro, and Kapingamarangi. Because large expanses of water separate the islands, island groups have evolved some distinct cultural traditions. Several cultural traditions, however, are similar across the islands.
One cultural tradition that is similar across the islands is the maintenance of strong family bonds through the large extended family. Another common cultural tradition is the importance of clans or family groups. Today, however, the importance of clans has decreased for the island groups of Kosrae. People in Pohnpei, however, still emphasize matrilineal clans.
Micronesian people rely heavily on fishing and farming. Farming is focused primarily on tree crops like breadfruit, coconut, banana, and citrus. Root crops like yam, sweet potato, tapioca, and taro are also important. The coconut tree is a vital crop for survival on isolated islands. This tree is used to provide nourishment from the water, milk, and oil; the husk is used for fuel to cook food and make rope for building homes and canoes; and the leaves are woven for mats and roofing material. Communal labor and sharing are important and the tradition of giving gifts and respect to tribal leaders remains.
Even though the states have cultural practices that link people across Micronesia, each state and even island can have different customs and traditions. The people of Yap dress in customary clothing. Women wear grass skirts or fabric hand woven from banana fibers called a “lavalava” and men wear a type of loincloth called a “thu.” Fishing, farming, sailing, and weaving are a part of daily life. Dancing is an important cultural tradition. The dances tell their history and legends and are a form of entertainment. Children are encouraged at an early age to learn these special dances.
The people of Yap are also famous for their stone money. This money was carved from stone in distant islands and brought to Yap through treacherous journeys by traditional canoes. The stones are so large that a hole had to be carved in the middle of the stone. This hole enabled a wooden post to be inserted in the middle that would be held by multiple people to carry it. Today, the traditional stone money lines the pathways in front of the village cultural houses. Here, they are held just as money would be held in a bank. Each stone holds a history that impacts its value, and the owner is known by everyone in the village. The stone money is still used today for important exchanges of high cultural value.
In the state of Chuuk, woodcarvers make beautiful masks and items for use in the home and sea craft, among other objects. The most accomplished wood carvers also build canoes and boats high in the hills of inner islands and then bring these boats down to the sea when they are nearly complete. It is common to see women on these islands waist deep in mangrove forests looking for delicacies among the sea life. The women use open-hearth fires to cook daily meals.
In Pohnpei, communities will come together to build a new boathouse or just to complete daily chores. The people here are known for their energetic cultural dances. They use these dances to pass on tradition, language, and family unity.
In Kosrae, native people practice singing and chanting as cultural traditions. Weaving, woodcarving, canoe building, and housebuilding are important to the people of Kosrae.
A special relationship exists between Hawaiians interested in traditional ways and the FSM. Before navigation instruments were available, Polynesians made ocean voyages across wide expanses of open ocean. Some of these Polynesians settled on the islands of Micronesia and some on the islands of Hawai‘i. Polynesian sailors used the horizon, stars, weather, wind and wave patterns, the feel of ocean swells, clouds, ocean and sky colors, and wildlife movements to keep track of their location, direction, and speed. These sailing techniques were passed along in word and song and were often kept secret.
By 1975, there were no Hawaiians who knew these ancient navigation techniques. At that time, Master Navigator Mau Piailug of the FSM was only one of six navigators who still used these techniques. Of the six, only Mau was willing to share his knowledge with the Hawaiians. He was asked by the Polynesian Voyaging Society to teach them how to navigate in the ancient manner. Mau’s willingness to share this knowledge helped to increase pride in traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. This pride has led to a growing interest in voyaging, canoe building, and non-instrument navigation that unites the Pacific Islands.