Seed Ya Later! Predicting the Movement of Trees in a Changing Climate
Scientists use models to predict what might happen in the future. Some scientists would like to predict the movement of trees as they respond to a changing climate. The scientists in this study wanted to answer this question: What is the best way to include the movement of tree seeds into their models?
Part Of
Climate Change Investi-gator (Pacific Northwest Research Station) - Vol. 1 No. 2
Explore Full Journal-
The questions you will answer in this FACTivity are: What are the different ways that seeds move? How can models help us better understand how something happens? Materials: Six pieces...FACTivity – Seed Ya Later!
The questions you will answer in this FACTivity are: What are the different ways that seeds move? How can models help us better understand how something happens? Materials: Six pieces...
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Ron Neilson
I became a bioclimatologist because I like to be in the woods. Bioclimatologists study the relationship of living things to their climate. Climate is the average weather of an area...View Profile -
Jóse Fragoso
As an ecologist, I study the relationships of living things with each other and with their environment. One of my favorite science experiences was flying my ultralight airplane over the...View Profile -
Ken Thompson
I’m very interested in the wildlife of gardens. My favorite project was one that showed just how much wildlife lives in a typical private garden. For me, however, the best...View Profile
About Investi-gator
The Investi-gator is another member of the Natural Inquirer family. The Natural Inquirer, for middle school students, and the Investi-gator, for upper elementary students, present science the way scientists most often share their research with each other. That process is the written scientific paper. Each Investi-gator article presents research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. All the research in the Investi-gator is concerned with nature or with society’s relationship to nature.
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Meet the Scientist
An introduction to the scientist or scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
A short introduction to something about the scientific process that is related to the research being presented.
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Thinking About the Environment
A short introduction to something about the natural environment that is related to the research being presented.
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Introduction
The part of the written scientific paper that introduces the scientific problem or question the scientists wants to solve or answer.
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Method
The part of the written scientific paper that describes how the scientists collected and analyzed their data or information.
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Findings
The part of the written scientific paper that describes what the scientists discovered.
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Discussion
The part of the written scientific paper that summarizes the research and offers any new insights.
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Reflection Section
These are questions placed after the Introduction, Methods, Findings, and Discussion sections. The purpose of the questions is to help students think about what they have read.
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Glossary
Possible new terms you will find in the article. Glossary words are printed in bold in the article.
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FACTivity
This is an activity that you can do in your classroom.
Lessons
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This lesson plan introduces the scientific process and guides students through an Investi-gator article using the K-W-L method. This lesson plan can be used with any Investi-gator or Natural Inquirer...Lesson Plan – Investi-gator KWL
This lesson plan introduces the scientific process and guides students through an Investi-gator article using the K-W-L method. This lesson plan can be used with any Investi-gator or Natural Inquirer...
Education Files
Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer
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In “Grow Where You’re Planted,” students will learn about how different planting elevations can affect Jeffrey and ponderosa pines’ survival, growth, and bud development timing. As part of the Moon...Grow Where You’re Planted – Vol. 1 No. 24
In “Grow Where You’re Planted,” students will learn about how different planting elevations can affect Jeffrey and ponderosa pines’ survival, growth, and bud development timing. As part of the Moon... -
The scientists in this study were interested in trees that live in the Eastern United States. They wanted to explore how the habitat of these trees might change in the...Moving on Up: The Possible Impact of Climate Change on Forest Habitats
The scientists in this study were interested in trees that live in the Eastern United States. They wanted to explore how the habitat of these trees might change in the... -
A naturalized species has two ranges. The first range is the one where the species lives in its native habitat. The second range is the one where the species is...North of the Border: Are Nonnative Species Moving Northward As the Climate Changes?
A naturalized species has two ranges. The first range is the one where the species lives in its native habitat. The second range is the one where the species is...
Additional Resources
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USDA Forest Service: "Trees on the move: A scientific effort to adapt to climate change"
Read ArticleWhen thinking of the term migration, the mind envisions seasonal bird journeys or perhaps historical human movement around the globe. However, scientists at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station are studying another type of migration—the movement of trees and how that relates to climate change.