Temperate Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest
Selected Resources for Students’ Independent Research
You may wish to further support students in their independent research by providing
them with an initial website and guiding questions to get them started.
Species information
 Red fox: http://www.arkive.org/red-fox/vulpes-vulpes/video-03.html
o How is this environment detrimental to the fox? What risks are posed to
the fox by this habitat?
o How would a more natural setting change their lifestyle?
o http://www.arkive.org/red-fox/vulpes-vulpes/video-08.html This video
shows why a more natural habitat is necessary for the red fox
 Black bear: http://www.arkive.org/american-black-bear/ursus-americanus/video14.html
o What would be your reaction if you saw a bear roaming around your
town?
o Describe the kind of conditions that would be more favourable to a bear’s
habitat. What elements are needed? What does a bear need to survive?
What does a bear need access to?
 Red-tailed hawk:
o http://www.arkive.org/red-tailed-hawk/buteo-jamaicensis/video-09a.html
o http://www.arkive.org/red-tailed-hawk/buteo-jamaicensis/video-08a.html
o What is it about these habitats that allow the red-tailed hawk to flourish?
o How would the lack of open space, available prey, and other identified
elements be limiting to the red-tailed hawk?
 Grey wolf:
o http://www.arkive.org/grey-wolf/canis-lupus/video-ar08a.html
o This video shows a grey wolf hunting a herd of caribou
 Adaptations to cold:
o This video shows a grey wolf trying to shed its winter coat:
http://www.arkive.org/grey-wolf/canis-lupus/video-10.html
o This video shows a wolverine burrowing into a den in the winter for
shelter: http://www.arkive.org/wolverine/gulo-gulo/video-lu09a.html
o Steller’s sea lion in the snow: http://www.arkive.org/stellers-sealion/eumetopias-jubatus/video-03b.html
o California sea otter grooming to insulate pelt: http://www.arkive.org/seaotter/enhydra-lutris/video-ne05a.html#text=Biology &
http://www.arkive.org/sea-otter/enhydra-lutris/video-ne05b.html
o Video showing American beaver preparing den for the winter
http://www.arkive.org/american-beaver/castor-canadensis/video03.html#text=Biology

Temperate rainforest example
o Pacific Northwest (USA) a summary:
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/pacific_temperate_rainf
orests.cfm
o
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Priority Ecoregions for Global Conservation – a report:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/ecoregions/WWFBinaryitem4810.pdf
Keystone species example
o Sea otters, giant kelp, sea urchins
o Sea urchins are a major staple in the sea otter diet, sea urchins eat kelp,
the otters help keep the sea urchin population in check so the kelp
population is protected
o Video showing sea otter in kelp forest: http://www.arkive.org/seaotter/enhydra-lutris/video-ne01.html#text=Description
o Video showing sea otter feeding on sea urchin: http://www.arkive.org/seaotter/enhydra-lutris/video-ne08a.html#text=Description
o Video overview of sea urchin: http://www.arkive.org/purple-seaurchin/strongylocentrotus-purpuratus/video-00.html
o Uses a clear example to explain the role of a keystone species
o What would happen if one of these populations collapsed?
o You can also expand on this to make the point of interconnectedness of
ecosystems
Canada lynx & snowshoe hair
o This video shows a lynx stalking a snowshoe hare
http://www.arkive.org/canada-lynx/lynx-canadensis/video-08a.html
o Canadian lynx population fluctuates with the availability of its main prey
the snowshoe hare http://www.fws.gov/mountainprairie/species/mammals/lynx/final%20lynx%20RecoveryOutline9-05.pdf
o Also see http://www.fws.gov/mainefieldoffice/Canada_lynx.html
Other helpful websites:
 http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm
 http://www.pacificbio.org/initiatives/ESIN/ESIN.html
 http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/climate_law_institute/350_reasons/no
rthwest.shtml