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- 5. We all live downstream What happens to plants and animals in an ecosystem when there is pollution? What about in the Great Basin watershed?
- 12. What can you do to protect plants, animals and watersheds??
Editor's Notes
- This tree is found high up in the mountains in the Great Basin. They need lots of sun to grow and can grow in very rocky soil. The bristlecone pine is the oldest living tree on earth. They can be up to 5,000 years old. What if pollution started at the top of the watershed? What might happen if this tree?
- Big horn sheep prefer high elevation without many plants so they can see predators coming. They can live on steep ledges on a mountain because their split hooves allow them to have good balance and grip. Bighorn Sheep usually eat grasses, shrubs and other small plants. How would pollution in the watershed affect the big horn? What might happen if sheep drank polluted water? What if it ate someone's litter?
- Sagebrush dominates the Great Basin desert by covering almost half of the land. It can be found at lower to mid elevations (down at the bottom or middle of a mountain). Many animals need sagebrush to survive. Have you ever seen this plant before? Sagebrush can be affected by litter or pollution left just near it, or from polluted rainwater washed down from higher up to the basin where it lives. What might happen to the sagebrush if a big storm filled the area with polluted water?
- The Black-tailed Jack Rabbit needs an ecosystem with sagebrush. They use it for shelter and food. They have long ears to help them stay cool in the hot desert and long legs to help them run away from predators like coyotes, owls, snakes. What might happen to this rabbit if all the sagebrush was dead from pollution so it couldn’t eat it?
- This lizard likes to bask in the sun to warm up and retreats to a warm burrow at night. The Great Basin gets very cold in the winter, so these reptiles go into hibernation. They mostly eat ants or other small insects. The horned lizard has strong armor to protect it from its enemies. It has pointed scales, as well as horns behind its head. What would happen if this lizard was drinking out of a creek with bad chemicals in it?
- Sage grouse rely on sagebrush to survive. They eat it for nutrients and use sagebrush clearings for mating dances. This bird inflates its chest which makes a unique sound to attract females. (You may want to watch a video of their mating dance for a good chuckle). What might happen if a sage grouse was looking for food and it accidently ate a piece of litter that someone left behind?