Biodiversity

We're Jessica and Stanley, and we're exploring the African rain forest on our home turf in New York City! We went to the Bronx Zoo, where they have animals and plants just like those in the African Congo. We'd heard how many different kinds of animals and plants live in the rain forest (that's called biodiversity), so we wanted to see for ourselves how that could be. Our question: How can so many different kinds of animals live together in the rain orest?

How would you investigate this question?
When you visit a zoo, you probably pay close attention to the animals. For this investigation, you'll want to pay close attention to the exhibit habitat the animals are in. What features of the habitat do you think are important to observe? Come up with a way to display your observations. What animal behaviors can you look for that help explain how the animal is suited for that habitat? Describe your investigation in your notebook and discuss it with your teacher, or go to Biodiversity to learn what Jessica and Stanley discovered.