species interaction Overview Plants and animals are much more connected than we usually realize. Forest ecosystems are extremely diverse and interconnected. When you start looking at one species, you soon realize that other plants and animals affect its existence over time. Objectives The purpose of this lesson is to help make students aware that species do not exist in isolation, that they all interact and affect others. Procedure After starting with the Forest Types and Forest Life sections of this site, or suitable field guides, students are asked to generate a list of forest animals in a chosen forest type. In groups of two or three, they then choose one or more animals and research three basic things: What does that animal eat? (Seeds, insects, plants, animals, etc.) What preys on that animal? (And is it hunted by humans?) How does that animal interact with the forest plants around it? When progress has been made on these questions, students try to determine how many connection(s) their animal has with animals chosen by other groups. References/Links Internet search, the links and bibliography on this site, field guides, encyclopedias. return to the teachers' area