april 22 is earth Day,
a good reminder that we all
need to be aware of pollution
and take care of the earth. Did
you know that when you litter, the
trash you throw on the ground can
find its way into our rivers, streams
and lakes? This debris can harm the
physical habitats of aquatic
plant and animal life, transport
chemicals, and interfere with
these environments,
threatening our human
water supply. The activity
on page 41 will help
demonstrate how the
"bugs and critters" in
our streams are affected by
different environmental conditions.
We'll learn that the amount
of pollution in a body of water
controls the types of life forms or
organisms you will find in a body of
water.
The Beaver Lake Watershed
is home to a wide variety of
animal and plant species. Many
are "bioindicators" of the overall
health of their surroundings. The
prefix "BIO-" means "living or life-
form." An "INDICATOR" shows
something is happening or signals a
need to take action. Changes in the
number, behavior, and fitness of
BIOINDICATOR species can be a
sign of changing environmental
conditions. An understanding
of how an organism functions
in different environmental
conditions (from clean to polluted) can
help us learn more about the health of
the habitat in which the animal or plant
lives.
INVERTEBRATES are organisms with
no backbone or skeleton. "MACRO-"
means large enough to see without
magnifying. Because there are so many
kinds of MACROINVERTEBRATES,
they are useful as bioindicators.
These organisms are an important
how
healthy
is our
water?
source: BIOINDIcatORs of environmental Health By D. Neely/BWD education coordinator
Dragonfly*
caddisfly*
critters with an *
will transform into
winged fliers when
they mature!
worm
Giant Water
bug
stonefly*
More on page 40 ➟
Hellgrammite*
38 • April 2021 • www.OfficialKidsMag.com
