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Lesson 10/20 What are plants and animals? 1
The mangroves
Now you are going to investigate an environment that you may have
experienced – the mangrove swamp. You will use this environment to
practise writing food chains. To do this, you are going on an ‘excursion’
to a mangrove swamp. As you go on the excursion, you will be
observing, comparing, contrasting and classifying the organisms that live
in the swamp.
The mangrove environmentThe mangrove swamp is a special type of environment that has a range of
conditions. Mangroves occur where a river meets the sea. They are
found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.
The excursionThis excursion is to a mangrove swamp. To go on this excursion, you
will need the following things:
• some photographs and drawings of the mangrove organisms
• the Living things CD ROM containing either an audio file or a
slideshow called The swamp and a computer to view the virtual
excursion.
You will go on the excursion by listening to the audio or watching the
slideshow on the Living Things CD ROM.
Here are some of the photographs that were taken on the excursion.
There are lines beside each picture which you may use to take personal
notes while you are on the excursion.
2 Living things
Photographs of a mangrove ecosystem
Pneumatophores at low tide
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Pneumatophores at mid tide
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Mangroves at mid tide
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Lesson 10/20 What are plants and animals? 3
Heron on a sand bank
Source © Jane West
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Flock of ibises digging for food
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Seagrass, algae and small fish
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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4 Living things
Salt crystals on a mangrove leaf
Source © Jane West
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Nipper burrows and oysters
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Ibises
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Lesson 10/20 What are plants and animals? 5
Soldier crabs
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Spider close up
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Burrowing in the mud
© State of New South Wales, Department of
Education and Training, 2004
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Organisms seen on the mangrove excursion.
6 Living things
Excursion sheet for mangrove excursion
Mussel
Small fish
Pelican Blue swimmer crab
MangroveSeagrass
PhytoplanktonPrawn
© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2004
Lesson 10/20 What are plants and animals? 7
IbisShark
Soldier crab
Whiting
Leatherjacket
Dragonfly
Sea horse Spider
© State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2004
Now you are ready to more closely study the feeding relationships
between these organisms. In this exercise you will be reporting on your
virtual excursion to a mangrove. This can be done using the material
provided on the Living things CD ROM.
Go to the exercises section and complete Exercise – The mangroves:
excursion notes.
8 Living things
What did you achieve?Tick what you can do.
describe the mangrove environment
list some of the plants and animals that live in the mangroves
write food chains for the mangrove environment
state reasons why the mangrove environment is important.
Lesson 10/20 What are plants and animals? 9
Exercise
Living things Name ___________________________
Teacher ___________________________
Exercise The mangroves – Excursion notes
Mangrove trees are often found around the shores where rivers
meet the sea. They usually form extensive forests because so many
of them group together. Sadly, mangrove areas have been used as
rubbish dumps and for disposing of factory wastes. Mangroves
have also been cut down to be replaced by tourist resorts.
First impressions
• Describe the mangrove environment.
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• List the animals that you have observed on your walk through
the mangroves.
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10 Living things
• Mangrove feeding relationships
The diagram following shows a food web in a mangrove
ecosystem. It is an unusual food web because many of the food
chains start from a material called detritus. This material consists
of the broken down leaves of mangrove trees as well as any other
organic material. It forms a rich oozy material that is found on
the floor of mangrove areas. These pieces of mangrove leaves
become food for molluscs, worms, young fish, crabs and prawns.
These animals are then eaten by larger fish, crabs and birds.
• Circle the producer(s) in the diagram below.
• The producers are eaten by herbivores. Write down two organisms
that are herbivores.
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• The herbivores are eaten by carnivores. Write down two organisms
that are carnivores.
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mangrove
pelicancormorant
bream
seagrass
oystercatcher
small fish
prawns
detritus
oysters
algae
Mangrove food web
Lesson 10/20 What are plants and animals? 11
• Write three food chains to represent the feeding relationships in
the mangrove environment.
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• Do you think that mangrove environments should be protected?
Explain your answer.
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