General – Green, bottlebrush-like perennial, from spreading rhizomes; stems annual, erect, hollow, slender, 10 – 50 cm tall, 1 – 4 mm thick, die back each year; fertile and sterile stems dissimilar; fertile stems unbranched at first, later develop many whorls of branches; sterile stems mostly single, whitish green, with 10 – 18 minutely roughened … Read more
General – slender perennial from deep, creeping rhizomes; stems die back each year, erect, hollow, 15 – 60 cm tall; 2 markedly different stem types; fertile stems unbranched at first, later have mostly compound branches, green to tan; sterile stems much branched, usually single, green, with 10 – 18 minutely spiny ridges; many branches, again … Read more
Distinguishing Features – The Siberian chipmunk’s body length is 12 – 17cm, two-thirds of its total length. Like other chipmunks, it has brightly colored fur, dark stripes, and large cheek pouches. Its ears are small and slightly rounded at the tips. The fur on the back is brown-gray to ocher yellow, depending on the origin … Read more
Distinguishing Features – The Great Bustard is one of the largest birds capable of flight. Weight: males up to 17 kg, females up to 8 kg; length: male may be 1.2 m long with a 2.4 m wingspan. Habitat The Great Bustard is a vulnerable species. It is distributed throughout many countries in Europe, Russia … Read more
General – smallish evergreen fern of rock crevices, 10 – 25 cm high; fronds form a network of spreading, mat-like rhizomes. Leaves – single; leathery, green, erect or spreading; blade elongated, tapering to a pointed tip, deeply cut almost to the central axis; leaflets almost altemate, hairiess, margins entire or shallowly toothed, blunt-tipped; central axis … Read more
General – perennial with rooting, horizontal stems creeping on or near ground surface, up to 1 m long; erect-ascending stems, whitish green, much branched, 5 – 30 cm tall, flattened (cedar-like). Leaves – in 4 vertical rows, sharp-pointed, partially fused to a stem, in 3 forms; largest on upper side, with elevated base; smaller on … Read more
This activity should be done after students have an idea of what a food chain is including understanding the predator prey relationships. Procedure Divide the class into working groups. Using “Common Animal Species of the Northwestern Ontario Boreal Forest” on our site as a resource, have student groups identify at least one individual animal from … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Sciurus vulgaris is considered to be one of the most physically variable mammals of the palearctic region, at least in physical appearance. The coat color of these squirrels varies from light-red to black on their heads and backs, and all, except those that have black coats, have white fur on their stomachs. … Read more
General – wide-spreading masses; dark- to bright-green or yellowish-green; up to 10 cm tall. Leaves – stem leaves egg- to heart-shaped, with a long tapered and pointed tip. Sporophytes – cylindrical, curved capsules, horizontal to hanging; stalks reddish-brown. Habitat On humus, mineral or organic soils, rotting logs and stumps; mostly in fresh to wet, moderately … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Overall colouration, highly variable, usually a shade ofbrown (rarely gray, red, or greenish). There are black spots on the upperside which contain one or two warts; these black spots often have a white border. Oval partoid gland behind each eye. Underside, white or yellowish, mottled with black. Usually a light mid dorsal … Read more