Students should complete the following questions after having gone through the local section of the wetland investigation.
 

  WETLANDS

1.)  What is a wetland?

2.)  Where are wetlands found in the United States?

3)  Have wetlands been reduced in quantity over the last 100 years or have they increased in quantity.

4) What areas of the country have experienced the greatest loss of wetland.

5)  Name six activites responsible for the loss of wetlands.

6)  What non-native vegetation can invade and threaten wetlands?

7) Though the "Swampbuster" provision of 1985 prevented turning wetlands into agriculture production, what agricultural practices or activities can lead to wetland loss?(name 5)

8) In two or three sentences, explain why Grazing can degrade wetlands.

9) Name four organics/and or inorganics that are deposited from the atmosphere into wetlands that may harm aquatic and
    terrestial life.

10) Illinois has lost at least 50 percent of it's wetlands. T  or  F
 
 

PRAIRIES

1) How did the French apply the term "Prairie" to the vast inland areas of North America?

2) Define a prairie? (In 2 or 3 sentences)

3) Prairie's cover about what percent of North American land area?

4) Illinois lies within an area called the "prairie peninsula". Desribe this area in one short paragraph.

5) Why were the wagons used by the first European settlers called "prairie schooners"?

6) About 18,000 years ago much of Illinois was covered by glaciers. Describe what happened over the next 10,000 years to allow for the formation of the prairies of Illinois.

7)  How were fires created in the Prairies?

8)  How was fire beneficial to the Prairies?

9)  How is grazing beneficial to Prairies?

10) How have prairie plants adapted to overcome the problems of fire, grazing, and drought ?
 
 
 
 

   PLANT IDENTIFICATION

        WETLANDS OF THE MIDWEST

1)  List the names of 2 plants in group 1;  5 plants in group 2- 8.

2) For each plant tell the following information:

Group 1     Family
                 Habitat
                 Habit
                 Field Marks
                 Is it found in the Illinois area?

Group 2-8   Family
                  Habitat
                  Habit
                  Field Marks
                  Flowering period(ie. June-Sept.)
                  Flowers
                  Fruits(if any)
                  Poisionous(yes or no)
                  Is it found in the Illinois area?
 

3)  Pick one plant from each group that you might expect to find in your local wetland area?
 
4)  Describe the difference between a monocot and a dicot?

5)  Draw a picture of a monocot, a Dicot, a Grass, and a sedge that you would expect to find in your
     local wetland area?