Did you know that termites play an important part in the carbon cycle or that most of our earthworms here in the U.S. are nonnative? Oftentimes these small invertebrates get overlooked, but they can have an outsized impact on ecosystems.
In this series of “From the Library” posts, I’ll be highlighting some of our publications, with ideas about how to use them in your educational plans. Today, I’ll be taking a deeper dive into two of our monographs, “Chew on This” and “Worming Their Way In,” written for middle school students.
We’ve written many articles about research on invertebrates, but let’s take a look at two publications in particular that focus on some smaller members of our communities – termites and earthworms.
For many of us, termites are a nuisance that we spend hundreds of dollars every year protecting our homes against. A lot of research has gone into how best to protect man-made structures from termite damage. But scientists are also interested in how termites impact wood in other contexts – like rotting tree trunks on a forest floor. Turns out, termites play an important role in the carbon cycle by helping with wood decomposition, an essential part of a forest ecosystem.
Many people, gardeners especially, appreciate the benefits of earthworms. They help with decomposition and return nutrients to the soil, loosening the soil in the process. While we can appreciate their help in the garden, what do earthworms have to do with forest health, and does it matter if the earthworms are native or nonnative species? In this study, scientists found that almost all the species found in north Georgia forests were nonnative, brought there perhaps as stowaways on nursery plants or dumped as leftover bait by a fisherman. How will this takeover by nonnative species affect the rest of these forest ecosystems?
How to Use These Monographs
- Use the monographs to explore topics like the differences among native, nonnative, and invasive species; the role of invertebrates in the carbon cycle; or how changes in one population can affect other populations in an ecosystem.
- Learn more about taxonomic classification and how species are named. Check out this activity on ants for more on classification.
- Explore career fields like ecology and entomology with the “Meet the Scientist” sections. Explore even further with our Career Exploration page.
- Use the FACTivities to simulate both experiments and give kids hands-on experience in measuring decomposition or conducting an insect survey.
- Check out the middle and high school educator guide for more ideas!
