General (Based on Grade 4 Understanding Life Systems): Answers

• Some species are not found at Riverwood. Why is this? Simply put there are two main reasons. The habitat is not suitable or the species is not suited for an urban natural area. Black bears are a good example for both of these. See the answer below for more details.
• One species (the black bear) used to found here. What caused it to disappear? Black bears were hunted out of this region by about the 1850’s or 60’s. They were both a source of food, hides and fat but they were also a large predator that was deemed a threat to livestock and people. Today black bear numbers are on the increase but natural areas around Riverwood is so fragmented that there is not enough space here to meet their needs for food, shelter and water.
• Which species is most likely to be impacted by the activities of people? This answer will vary as more videos are posted. Some of the most vulnerable species on the property are the frogs, coyote and some of the birds. The answer also depends on how you define the activities of people. Coyote are welcomed here but many people outside the natural area fear them and it may be that a fearful (and uneducated) public might demand that they be removed. Frogs however may be reduced by airborne or water borne pollutants due to traffic and poor waste management protocols. Birds might be impacted by increased foot traffic or noise levels.
• Build a simple food chain for some of the animals featured based on what you observe in the videos. A few examples based on the first 20 or so videos: 1. Grass > Black bear. 2. Duck weed > Mallard > Coyote.  3. Tree > White-tailed Deer > Coyote 4. Sunflower > Chickadee > Hawk
• Describe the type of habitat that each species needs. Marsh (standing water, not very deep, open waters) : Muskrat, Canada goose, Trumpeter swan, Great blue heron Forest (trees, dry land, seasonal changes) : White-tailed deer, coyote, squirrel, raccoon Garden (cultivated flowers, dry land with frequent watering): Bumble bee, spider, butterflies, insects
• How do they use their habitat to ensure they can raise their young? Habitats provide shelter, space, food, nesting material, safe nesting areas (shelter), source of water, food for prey species, nutrients for healthy food
• What are some examples of these animals interacting within their population? A population is defined as a number of organisms of the same species. So all examples must be between members of that species for example: fawns interacting with does, black bear cubs playing, young birds begging for food, adult birds feeding them, Canada goose calling to each other
• Which of these animals are found in the Riverwood community? See Animal Status PDF below 
• Which animals are consumers? Producers? Predators? Prey? See Animal Status PDF below 
• Which animals are carnivores? Herbivores? Insectivores? Scavengers? Omnivores? See Animal Status PDF below 
• Which animals can live near cities? Most of the animals in these videos can be found within the city borders of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). The exception is the black bear but there are certainly cities like Vancouver, British Columbia, where black bears are frequently seen within city limits.
• Which animals need to be in areas away from cities? Black bear.

 
General (Based on Grade 5 Understanding Structures and Mechanics: Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms)

• What affect does rushing water have on the environment? Rushing water erodes the land, carries away debris, rocks, minerals and other material and deposits it downstream. It carves out canyons, valleys and this can have many effects. It can isolate species, leading to new species. It can enrich habitats downstream or overwhelm them with debris.
• What affect does flooding have on the land and wildlife? Flooding can have both positive and negative impacts depending on the timing of the flood, the degree of flooding and the material the flood waters carry and/or wash away. For example, regular seasonal flooding carries much needed nutrients to habitats downstream. It can also remove contaminants.
• How do waterfalls impact the environment? Waterfalls erode the land. They carve out deep channels overtime. Waterfalls can impede the migration of fish and other animals. By preventing fish from getting into the upper reaches of the river and its upstream lakes, streams and other tributaries it may help lessen the nutrients found there. On the other hand it also stops new species from invading stable ecosystems. The material carried away by the fast flowing water will be deposited downstream and will affect the chemical mixture of the water.

 
 
General (Based on Grade 6 Understanding Life Systems): Answers

• How can the featured organisms be classed scientifically? In general they can be classed as presented in Appendix III. Please refer to text books for the scientific categories of classification in detail: Kingdom; Phylum or Division; Class; Order; Family; Genus; Species
• Group the species according to their scientific classification. See Animal Status PDF below.
• Group the species according to their habitat preferences and needs. See Animal Status PDF below
• Based on the featured species how diverse are the habitats found at Riverwood? The habitats found at Riverwood include forests, wetlands, fast flowing river, streams, meadows, open grassland (lawns) and gardens.  
• What are the distinguishing characteristics of the different groups of plants and animals seen in these videos? See Animal Status PDF below
• Which of the species features interact with other species featured? Coyote & Deer, Raccoon & frogs, toads, song birds, Cormorants & fish, Heron & fish & frogs, Woodpecker & insects, Robin & worm, Bald eagle & fish and so on
• What other species of plants and animals are likely to be found in the area (i.e. as food, shelter, competitors for the species featured in the videos)? This answer will vary but at Riverwood we have 183 species of birds, mink, opossum, mice, voles, cottontail rabbits, weasel, red fox, salmon, rainbow trout, garter snakes, water snakes, grey squirrels to name but a few.

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