Reindeer Food
December Hiker Activity – Reindeer Food
Instructions: 1. Introduce the topic by asking, “Do you know what reindeer eat the most in winter?” ANSWER: Lichen, esp. the type commonly known as reindeer moss. 2. Ask if anyone knows what lichen is and use the information below to teach the children more. Point out the types of lichen that grows only in areas with cleaner air. |
Printable Hikers Activity
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3. Search the trees and rocks on school grounds for different types of lichen. A great place to start is the kindergarten turn around (please supervise children closely in this area).
4. Ask the children whether they think the air around the school is clean or polluted. ANSWER: Given the types of lichen found, the air is pretty clean!” 5. Ask the children whether they think the lichen hurts the tree it grows on. See below for more info. 6. Use the magnifiers provided by the school office to observe lichen closely. 7. Use any extra time to visit the Stink o Lantern patch and/or fill the bird feeders. |
What is lichen? Lichen is a symbiosis. That means it is two or more organisms living together such that both are more successful together than they would be living on their own. With lichens the basic components of this partnership are 1) a fungus and 2) one or more algae.
Does lichen hurt trees?
Lichens that grow on trees and shrubs do not harm them. Although the lichens are attached to the bark or penetrate a short distance, they do not enter the inner bark where food is transported, and hence do not rob the tree of nourishment. Neither do lichens cause disease. In addition, lichens grow in the winter, after the leaves have fallen from the trees and no longer block light from reaching the lichens. Thus, the leaves and lichens take turns: leaves use sunlight in summer while lichens use it in winter.
What to reindeer eat during winter? (Taken from howstuffworks.com)
Once winter sets in and snow covers the tundra, the reindeer diet narrows down to one food: lichen. Lichen survives the cold winters because of its unique biological combination of algae and fungus. Thanks to the algae, lichen doesn't require much sunlight to produce chlorophyll; the spongy material of the fungus also holds up well against the harsh temperatures.
Reindeer sniff out lichen beneath the snow and use their curved hooves or antlers to uncover it. During this time, reindeer maintain more sedentary habits to preserve their energy [source: University of Alaska Fairbanks]. The lichen-only regimen is the reverse of the Atkins Diet. The plant contains high amounts of carbohydrates, but no protein. Consequently, the carbs provide the reindeer a source of quick-burning energy that carries them through winter. However, lichen isn't a particularly hearty food, and for that reason, reindeer will eat 4 to 11 pounds of reindeer moss each day [source: Dieterich and Morton]. That's why reindeer pack on the pounds in the warmer months when there's more to choose from. In fact, these animals gradually lose weight starting in the fall and continuing to March [source: University of Alaska Fairbanks].
Does lichen hurt trees?
Lichens that grow on trees and shrubs do not harm them. Although the lichens are attached to the bark or penetrate a short distance, they do not enter the inner bark where food is transported, and hence do not rob the tree of nourishment. Neither do lichens cause disease. In addition, lichens grow in the winter, after the leaves have fallen from the trees and no longer block light from reaching the lichens. Thus, the leaves and lichens take turns: leaves use sunlight in summer while lichens use it in winter.
What to reindeer eat during winter? (Taken from howstuffworks.com)
Once winter sets in and snow covers the tundra, the reindeer diet narrows down to one food: lichen. Lichen survives the cold winters because of its unique biological combination of algae and fungus. Thanks to the algae, lichen doesn't require much sunlight to produce chlorophyll; the spongy material of the fungus also holds up well against the harsh temperatures.
Reindeer sniff out lichen beneath the snow and use their curved hooves or antlers to uncover it. During this time, reindeer maintain more sedentary habits to preserve their energy [source: University of Alaska Fairbanks]. The lichen-only regimen is the reverse of the Atkins Diet. The plant contains high amounts of carbohydrates, but no protein. Consequently, the carbs provide the reindeer a source of quick-burning energy that carries them through winter. However, lichen isn't a particularly hearty food, and for that reason, reindeer will eat 4 to 11 pounds of reindeer moss each day [source: Dieterich and Morton]. That's why reindeer pack on the pounds in the warmer months when there's more to choose from. In fact, these animals gradually lose weight starting in the fall and continuing to March [source: University of Alaska Fairbanks].