Nature’s Perfect Partnership: Plants and Wildlife
Welcome to the fascinating world of the Sonoran Desert, where plants and animals work together to survive! In this dry land, plants and animals depend on each other to live in balance. Come with us on a journey through this special place as we uncover how plants and animals help each other in the Sonoran Desert.
Plants and Pollinators
Desert plants need help from pollinators like bees, butterflies, and bats. These pollinators move pollen from one flower to another, helping the plants make fruit and seeds. In return, the pollinators get a tasty treat called nectar. It’s a sweet deal: the plants get help to make more plants, and the pollinators get a tasty meal.
Woodpeckers and Cacti
Gila Woodpeckers make holes in saguaros and other cacti while looking for insects to eat. Other birds use these holes made by woodpeckers as homes. This helps the cacti too, because the woodpeckers help them grow by making openings for new plant parts to grow.
Also, some of the insects the birds eat are insects that can harm the cacti. By removing these harmful insects from the cacti, the woodpeckers are helping the plant stay healthy.
Creosote Bush and Mammals
The creosote bush is a common plant in the Sonoran Desert. It provides homes for many different small mammals. The bush’s deep roots create tunnels underground where animals can hide from predators and escape from the hot sun during the summer.
Desert Tortoises and Plants
Animals like the desert tortoise eat native plants in the desert. They nibble on leaves, stems, and fruits, helping to shape the land and make sure there are many kinds of plants. In a way, they are the gardeners of the desert.
Cacti and Desert Rodents
Cacti, like the barrel cactus and the fishhook cactus, store water in their juicy parts. Desert rodents, like rabbits and ground squirrels, depend on these cacti for water during dry times.
By eating the fleshy parts of the cacti, they not only get food but also the water they need to stay alive.
In the Sonoran Desert, plants and animals work together. This careful teamwork helps many species survive and keeps the whole desert healthy.
The following activity will encourage children to discover more about the special connections that make the Sonoran Desert an amazing part of nature. Continued exploration inspires learners to take care of this wonderful desert!
Materials Needed:
- Cardstock
- Coloring materials
- Scissors
- Glue
- Illustrations of Sonoran Desert plants and animals for reference
Instructions:
- Color the cardstock to look like the Sonoran Desert landscape. Look at the photos at the bottom of this page for reference. You can include mountains, rocks, plants, and the sun.
- Color the pictures of Sonoran Desert plants and animals on the activity page. Maybe even draw your own Sonoran Desert plants (cacti, creosote bushes, mesquite trees) and animals (coyotes, rattlesnakes, Gila monsters).
- Cut along the dotted lines to cut out the plants and animals.
- Glue the plants and animals on the cardstock. Place them in positions that show the relationships between the plants and animals and how they help each other. For example, a rabbit may be next to a desert plant for food or shelter.
- Teach someone else about the Sonoran Desert picture that you’ve created! Explain the relationships between the plants and animals and how they work together.
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