A Little Bit More
One biological definition of range is, “the geographic area normally occupied by a given organism, beyond which it is entirely absent.” Ranges are often mapped out in terms of their geographic limits; however it needs to be recognized that most species are restricted to habitats within their broader ranges, so no range is uniformly occupied. Maybe you think this is self evident, but for those not as conversant with field guides, it’s easy to overlook this important fact. In those species that migrate, there may be well-defined and separate breeding and wintering ranges. Those areas that they must cross when they travel from one living area to the other – their migration routes – are not usually considered part of their range, even though they may be seen there briefly.
Keep in mind that ranges are not fixed, and may fluctuate over time. Since birds are able to fly, their ranges are much more fluid than those of more sedentary animals, such as rodents or wildflowers. Some birds that have been expanding their ranges steadily northward in recent decades include the Northern Cardinal, Mockingbird, Carolina Wren, and Red-bellied Woodpecker. Birds that have been expanding southward include the Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, American Robin, Song Sparrow, and House Wren. Ranges can and do change over time.
The distribution of any species – where it lives and why – is complex and only poorly understood. Some species are found only in small specialized habitats while others tolerate many different habitats. Some organisms occur only on a single mountain peak or island, while others may be found worldwide.
Activities
Range Map Sets
Objectives: See how range maps can be used to illustrate Set Theory
Materials: Internet/library access, map of North America, coloring pencils or markers
Ranges – Range maps provide an extremely efficient way of conveying information about a given subject. At a glance, one can absorb quite a bit of information. Of course, range maps can be used for looking at the entire world, at a given country, state/province, or even a small, local area.
This is an exercise that will help students cement the concept of range maps, as well as, see how Set Theory (Venn Diagrams) can be applied to the natural world.
Set Theory – is a way of solving problems in mathematics and logic. By studying set theory, you can get a better understanding of arithmetic and of mathematics as a whole. A set is a collection of objects or ideas. A family, a box of crayons, or a population of birds can be a set of objects. If we then look at where our four ranges, or sets, overlap, we have a kind of Venn diagram.
1. Have each student, or group of students, select 4 different native organisms (not domestic or introduced) that live in their area. I would suggest one tree (eg.Eastern White Pine), one butterfly (eg.Black Swallowtail), one bird (eg.Scarlet Tanager), and one amphibian (eg.Red-spotted Newt).
2. Each student should locate a range map for each of their four species. The library should have some good field guides and the internet also (these will be a little more difficult to find so I’ve included a couple of websites if students need help).
3. Print out the map that’s included here, at least 81/2” X 11” in size. The range of each organism should be lightly colored in a different color, allowing them to overlap where appropriate. A map legend should be included to indicate which color represents each organism.
4. Since the students have selected 4 local organisms, the ranges of the four will overlap at least in “your” own home location.
5. Once completed, the students can compare range maps and see how different combinations of organisms overlap across the continent producing different sets.
Additional Sites:
Birds and Butterflies of New England
www.nenature.com/
Amphibian and Reptile Ranges of New York
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/herp/snakliza.html
Key Concepts
Populations and Ecosystems
Questions
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Posted by chris kinter on April 17, 2006 at 06:53 PM
Q: Do you have a world map that shows the natural range of newts? My grandson is fascinated by them and is doing a poster on them for his 2nd grade calss. Tahnks for any help!
A: I don't think anything like this exists for amphibians. You might be able to go from country to country and find out what newts are found within their borders, but there isn't anything I'm aware of that has it all pulled together. The Audubon Society puts out a good book called "The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians" and all of the 6 species of North American newts and their ranges would be there. For a second grader, this may give him pletny to work with. Hope this helps - grandparents can do a lot to advance a child's interest in and understanding of nature.
Posted by Tammy Bowen on October 18, 2005 at 08:25 PM
Q: What areas on a world map are the red-spotted newts found?
A: The Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is found only in the eastern part of North America from southeastern Canada south to Florida and west to eastern Texas and eastern Minnesota. There are some different subspecies (minor variations between them) in this range but they aren't found on other continents. There are other newts in other parts of the world but not this particular species. Thanks for asking.
Posted by Mike Nix on October 28, 2003 at 02:16 PM
Q: In your comments on a lesson on birds, several birds were stated to have lived for a certain number of years in captivity. An owl was reported to have lived 100 yrs., but this was not confirmed. Are there ways to confirm the age of the owl, except through observation in captivity or by tagging?
A: None that I'm aware of. I think trying to age adult birds would be similar to trying to age humans without any prior history of the individual. You could come up with an approximate age but that would be subject to a host of factors and could be way off. With animals that continually grow, like fish, one can look at certain bones that show tiny lines of growth that are similar to tree rings. These lines can be counted and give reliable age information but this doesn't work for birds. Keep in mind that captive birds will be much more likely to live to a greater age than wild birds, so these figures don't reflect "normal" age records.
Posted by jesse on June 06, 2003 at 04:57 PM
Q: How old can birds get before they die?
A: It's not easy to keep track of birds, so one can know their age, but captive birds can easily be aged and even wild birds that are banded or are easy to identify can be aged too. For most birds in the wild, one or two years is about as long as they live, but there are exceptions.
A captive American Robin is known to have lived 17 years, a pigeon recorded as living 29 years, and a captive Canada Goose as much as 42 years. The oldest bird I was able to find was a Great-horned Owl that is reported, not confirmed, to have lived almost 100 years!