Found Guildy!
Forbs, Ferns, Trees, Shrubs, Mosses...
WHAT is a GUILD
A guild is a group of plants or animals that have a similar
lifestyle, but are not necessarily closely related (although
they can be). For instance...
shark
squid
sea lion
dolphin
Tuna
What do these animals have in common? They are not
closely related...
FISH
MAMMAL
MAMMAL
CEPHALOPOD
They are all large
ocean carnivores,
mostly eating fish
FISH
This shared lifestyle
makes them a
GUILD
Plant Guilds
• Forbs: flowering, herbaceous, not grasses
• Shrubs: flowering or cone-bearing, woody
stems, many different stems
• Trees: flowering or cone-bearing, woody
stem, usually one main stem
• Ferns: no flowers or seeds, but do have
roots and leaves. Reproduce with spores.
• Mosses: no true root structure, reproducve
via spores
Forbs:
Flowering:
reproduces with
a flower, not a
cone or a spore
Herbaceous:
this means
stems are soft,
not woody
Shrubs
Woody Stem:
does not bend
easily, and has
long, woody
fibers when
broken
Many Stems:
not one main
trunk
Trees
One main stem:
most trees have a
main stem, with
smaller branches
extending from it
Woody stem:
like shrubs,
trees have a
woody stem
Ferns
Spores: Ferns
reproduce with
special structures
called spores,
which are
different from
seeds
Roots: unlike
moss, ferns have
well-developed
roots
Mosses
Spores: mosses
also reproduce
with spores
No roots: do
not have a real
root system,
just hairlike
structures
Can you name that
guild?
Which guild do you think these three plants belong in?
A.
B.
C.
Bonus question: can you name these plants?
Answers:
A.
Tree
Red alder
B.
Moss
Sphagnum moss
C. Forb
Skunk cabbage
That was way too easy.
What about these?
A.
B.
C.
Answers:
A. Moss (kinda)
Club moss:
similar to a
moss, but not
quite the same
B. Fern
Fern tree:
around 40 ft tall
and found in
New Zealand
C. Fungus
Trick
question!
That’s not a
plant at all