Plant-Animal Interactions

Teacher guide [Recommended year 9 - 12]

Education @ Adelaide Botanic Garden

Bookings

All visits to the Botanic Gardens should be booked as part of risk management. Self-Managed Excursions Booking online: http://www.botanic.sa.edu.au/index.php/book-online Booking by email: [email protected] booking form here Booking by phone: 08 8222 9311 Education Manager discussions and bookings ph: 08 8222 9344 or email: [email protected]

Guidelines when in the Garden

Students must be supervised at all times while in the Garden.

Before starting your walk please remind your group that:

• Gardens are peaceful places for people to relax and enjoy. • Walking slowly and talking quietly ensures everybody and everything will enjoy the gardens. • Plants are fragile, touch them gently. • Flowers, leaves, bark, seeds etc. growing on plants or lying on the ground are there for all to enjoy. When you have finished with plant material found on the ground always return it to the garden. • Keeping to paths and not walking on beds or borders avoids damage to plants.

Risk Management

• Water: The garden has a number of open water bodies and requires close supervision by teachers and supervising adults. • Student ratio: Adult to student ratio is recommended at 1:10, for Early years and Junior primary this should be lower. • Weather: Excursions at the Adelaide Botanic Garden are outdoors so sun protection is required, insect repellent at certain times of the year is recommended. Light showers are not an issue in the gardens and at time enhances the experience. There are a number of sheltered areas throughout the garden and raincoats are preferred to umbrellas. • Washing: After working in the wetland or handling plant material hands should be thoroughly washed particularly before eating. • Toilets: There are 5 groups of public toilets across the Garden as indicated on the maps.

Copyright: ©2015 The State of South Australia, Department for Education and Child Development and the Botanic Gardens of South Australia. This publication is protected by copyright. It may be reproduced by South Australian teachers for use with their students.

Contents

• Purpose and key idea of the trail • Australian Curriculum Connections • Before the excursion • After the excursion • Map • Acknowledgements • Teacher background information

Purpose and key idea of the trail

Purpose This trail uses plants in the Adelaide Botanic Garden and in the Museum of Economic Botany to introduce students to the diverse ways in which plants and animals rely on each other and also to illustrate the value of conserving interactions between species when we seek to conserve biodiversity. The trail is designed for secondary school students. Through discussion and keen observation, the students are encouraged to gain an appreciation of process and outcomes for different plant-animal interactions;

• How do they operate?

• Why are they important for the environment and people?

• Why are they under threat?

Context Plant-Animal interactions in Context

Biodiversity is a word that has become familiar to many people, but what does it really entail? The answer is a lot! Biodiversity is the abundance and variety of living organisms, the diversity of ecosystems in which they live and the characteristics of individual organisms. These organisms or species form distinct communities. A species interacts with, and relies on, other organisms within its own community for food and services. These interactions between species are what facilitate the self-preservation of biodiversity.

We live in a time in which rates of extinction are very high. Species are being lost either locally or forever, most often due to the activities of humans. The extinction of a species means that the interactions it has with other species are also lost. This can lead to further degradation of biodiversity. The conservation of biodiversity typically involves preserving individual species and communities. However, there is also an increasing emphasis on conserving interactions between plants and animals to maintain the resilience of ecosystems and also to maintain the products and services they provide us.

Key Concepts Key concepts that may be linked to the Australian Curriculum include:

• Biodiversity and Conservation • Food production and Sustainability • Environmental Science Time:

Allow about 2 hours for this session. Australian Curriculum Connections

General capabilities

• Critical and creative thinking

Learning Areas

Year 9 Science

Multicellular organisms rely on coordinated and interdependent internal systems to respond to changes to their environment (ACSSU175)

Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems (ACSSU176)

Year 10 Science

Plan, select and use appropriate investigation methods, including field work and laboratory experimentation, to collect reliable data; assess risk and address ethical issues associated with these methods (ACSIS199)

Before the excursion

Background Discussions:

The trail introduces students to some common plant-animal interactions including herbivory, seed dispersal and pollination.

SEED DISPERSAL occurs when seeds move away from their parent plant. Plants often use animals to assist the further spread of their seed by providing the animals with food attached to the seeds. Such dispersal systems are considered to be beneficial to both the plant and the animal. The animals benefit from the food, and the seeds that are dispersed can have a better chance of growing into a new adult plant. Three types of seed dispersal are introduced.

• Myrmecochory means seed dispersal by ants. Many plant species, particularly in Australia and South Africa,produce seeds that bear ant-attracting appendages called elaiosomes. The elaiosomes mimic the smell and composition of dead insects, so the ants do not realise that they are also collecting a seed.Ants tend to disperse such seeds to their nest sites where the elaiosome is eaten and the seed is discarded either within the nest or on the ground nearby. The plants can benefit from having their seed dispersed by ants in several ways. For example, seeds dispersed away from parent plants,where they may suffer competition for light and nutrients,may have a better chance of surviving as seedlings. Seeds taken into an ant nest can be protected from animals that eat seeds, such as rodents, or can be protected from bush fires.

• Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding animalsoccurs when animals collect seeds and bury them in the hope of finding and eating them later. Although scatter-hoarding animals can eat many of the seeds they hoard, they do lose some, and these lost seeds are essentially planted in the ground, away from the parent plants where seedlings can have a better chance of establishing.

• Endozoochoryoccurs when animals eat fleshy fruits and in doing so, swallow the seeds. The seeds of the endozoochorous plants have protective seed coats so that the seeds can survive being ingested by seed- dispersing animals. The seeds are then spread unharmed to new areas in the animals’ scats.

HERBIVORY is when plants are eaten by animals. Eating plants is not simply a matter of finding any plant and having a meal because plants have developed ways of defending themselves. Two types of anti-herbivore defences used by plants are introduced here.

• Chemical defenceis a type of defence whereby plants produce toxic or distasteful chemicals in their leaves to deter animals from eating them. Some animals, particularly insects, have developed a tolerance to certain plant chemicals and specialise on eating those plants.

• Ant defenceis a type of defence whereby plants use ants as ‘bodyguards’to deter herbivorous insects from eating their leaves. Most commonly, the plants entice ants to forage on their leaves by providing them with nectar. Nectar is produced by specialised glands called ‘extra-floral nectaries’. While foraging on the plants, ants can attack or scare off herbivorous insects. This relationship is mutualistic as the ants benefit from the nectar and the plants benefit from reduced herbivory.

POLLINATIONis an essential step in the sexual reproduction of flowering plants. It occurs when pollen is moved between the male and female parts of flowers and results in the development of new seeds and fruit. Plants often use highly mobile animals such as birds and insects to move their pollen between flowers. For their pollination services, animals are most often rewarded with nectar. The colour and structure of flowers can indicate what type of animals visit the plant and successfully pollinate the flowers.

Useful General References

Herrera, C. M. and Pellmyr, O. (editors). (2002). Plant-Animal Interactions: an Evolutionary Approach. Blackwell Publishing.

Proctor, M.C. F., Peter, Y and Andrew, L. (1996).Natural History of Pollination. Timber Press.

Simpson, B. B. and Conner-Ogorzaly, M. (2001).Economic Botany: Plants in Our World.McGraw-Hill.

Willmer, P. (2011). Pollination and Floral Ecology.Princeton University Press.

Aussie Bee website: www.aussiebee.com.au

See Teacher’s Guide for additional web links.

Text Books.

Knox, B., Ladiges, P., Evens, B. and Saint, R. Biology: An Australian Focus.Chapters – ‘Plants (section on flowering plants)’,‘Living in communities’ and ‘Human Impacts’. McGraw Hill.

Campbell, N. A. and Reece, J. B. Biology.Chapters – ‘Community Ecology’ and ‘Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology’. Benjamin Cummings.

Acknowledgments

A publication by:

Education @ Adelaide Botanic Garden and Flinders University.

And developed by:

Kieren Beaumont, Molly Whalen and Duncan Mackay.

In collaboration with:

Steve Meredith, Michael Yeo, Catherine Stone and Tony Kanellos.

Photos:

Kieren Beaumont, Duncan Mackay, Molly Whalen and Adelaide Botanic Gardens unless otherwise indicated.

Teacher background information

1.Brazilnut tree (Bertholletia excelsa)

Lost seeds become new trees.

Guess What Large rodents called agoutis are essential for the survival of Brazilnut Brazil nuts are the only seed crop trees.Even though they eat Brazil nuts, harvested from natural forests and sold they help to grow new trees by burying all around the world. seeds.
Pollination Agoutis help Brazil nut treeshttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi Brazilnut trees grow in the tropical forest of South America. They can reach 50 meters tall and can live for more than 650 years. Brazilnut trees rely on large bees to pollinate their flowers. The large bees are strong enough to force their way between the petals of the flower into a chamber, where they are provided with nectar and pollinate the flower.Once a flower has been pollinated, it grows into a large woody fruit. a/commons/7/73/Agouti_.jpg

Interactions under threat.

Most Brazil nuts traded today are collected from natural forests and the multi-million dollar industry provides many locals with an income. The ongoing success of the industry depends on healthy forests that support the animals that Brazilnut trees need and on the sustainable harvesting of the nuts. There is debate as to how much harvesting can be done before populations of Brazilnut trees begin to decline. However, effective management of the Brazil nut industry may promote the conservation of forests as well as provide sustainable benefits to local communities.

Find out more

Can sustainable harvesting of Brazil nuts conserve tropic forests and benefit local people? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE6XUcq4g38 http://amazonconservation.org/ourwork/livelihoods.html

Things to ponder The Brazil nut trees benefit from having some of their seeds dispersed and buried in the soil by agoutis but later 1.Describe the fruit of the Brazil nut tree. lost. They can then grow into new How has it been opened and how many nuts trees. Seed-dispersing animals that are inside? show this behaviour are known as scatter hoarders. The fruit has a woody shell and contains nuts that also have woody shells. It appears that someone has used a saw to cut the fruit open. 4. What animals use the flowers of Brazil nut trees and how do you think they benefit these plants?

2. Agoutis are rodents that eat Brazil nuts Large-bodied bees pollinate the (seeds). How do you think agoutis break flowers. Once pollinated the flowers into the fruit to get the nuts contained develop into woody fruit that contain inside? the Brazil nuts.

Agoutis have chisel-like teeth that they use to break into the fruit. Other animals would find it very difficult to break the shell.

3. Agoutis save some Brazil nuts to eat later by storing them in the soil. How do you think Brazil nut trees benefit from this?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Brazilnut1.jpg

5. Why might Brazil nut trees only produce nuts when they are growing in their natural environment?

Agoutis and large-bodied bees need intact forests to survive. Without these animals Brazil nut trees cannot grow and produce nuts.

6. What is the name of another plant within the Brazil nut family? How do people use those plants?

The ground seeds of the fish poison tree (Barringtonia asiatica) and the powder puff tree (Barringtonia racemosa) can be used to stun fish making them easier to capture. Another fish poison tree (Barringtonia calyptata) can be found growing in the Bicentennial Conservatory.

2.Durians(Durio zibethinus)

The flowers of durian trees are quite distinctive. They are a creamy-white colour, produce large amounts of nectar and smell like sour milk. Also, Guess what the flowers bloom in clusters on the underside of the branches and open In their native range of south-east Asia, during the evening and night time. people consider durians to be the ‘king of fruits’. At the same time, the fruits are banned from many hotels and public places due to their strong odour.

The attraction of an unattractive smell

The durian fruit is well known for its offensive smell. Its odour has been likened to rotten onions and gym socks. In 1856, a British naturalist and explorer, Alfred Russel Wallace wrote that the smell of the durian ‘is certainly at first disagreeable’ but http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co described the flavour of the fruit as ‘a mmons/b/b7/Durian_flower_1%2C_Cho_Lac rich custard highly flavoured with h%2C_Ben_Tre%2C_Viet_Nam.JPG almonds.’ (http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/wallac e.S027.htm)

Pollination in the dark

Things to ponder

1.In the tropical forests of south-east Asia the strong odour of durians helps to attract many animals. What animals do you think could eat durians?

Large animals that are able to break the spiky shell and eat the fruit. People have observed orangutans, elephants and even tigers eating durians. A fresh durian ready to be purchased at an Australian market.

2. How do you think animals that eat durians help the durian trees?

When eating the fleshy fruit, the animals can also swallow seeds. These seeds can then be spread long distances and reach new areas of the forest.

3. What animals do you think would be attracted to flowers of the durian tree?

Bats are the main pollinators of durian flowers.

4. What other two plants of the ‘Mallow’ family are most important to you and why?

What part of the plants do you use?

Plant 1.Cotton plants (Gossypium species) because their fruits provide cotton used to make cloth.

Plant 2.Cocoa plants (Theobroma cacao) because their seeds are used to make chocolate.

3. Tomatoes (Lycopersicones culentum)

buzz pollinator, the native blue-banded bee. Guess What To bee or not to bee. Tomatoes originate from South America. When they were brought to Honey bees pollinate about a third of Europe, people thought they were the crop plants that we use for food poisonous because many European and so, are very important. However, plants related to the tomato can be there is concern that the introduction toxic. Today, our appetite for of honey bees to new environments has tomatoes may be due to a man called impacted native plants and pollinating Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson. In insects. For example, honey bees can 1820, he stood in front of a large crowd reduce the amount of nectar available of people and ate a whole basket of to native bees and can pollinate tomatoes. To the crowd’s invasive plant species. astonishment, Robert survived. There are concerns for the environment if another exotic bee were to be introduced to mainland Australia. The Buzz pollination native blue-banded bee is considered an alternative to the European http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErO bumblebee for use in the pollination of t3hbe8qw glasshouse tomato plants.

Tomatoes are produced after the Find out more flowersof the plants have been ‘buzz pollinated’ by bees. However, not Discover how blue banded bees can be every type of bee has the right buzz, an alternative to bumblebees for like the common honey bee. pollination of tomato plants.

In Europe, large bumblebees are used http://www.aussiebee.com.au/abol- to buzz pollinate tomato plants grown 010.html in glasshouses. These bees do not occur on the Australian mainland, so http://www.aussiebee.com.au/bumble people manually pollinate the flowers beeharm.html by vibrating the plants with a special tool. This is a costly process.

Rather than introducing European bumblebees, is there an Australian native bee that can do the job? Researchers have found a promising

Things to ponder

1.How many years have tomatoes been grown by people?

About 7000 years.

2. Highlight the fruit and vegetables you have eaten that are likely to have been produced with the help of pollination by bees. Tomatoes, Apples, Cabbage, Cherries, Many flowers of our vegetable plants Pears, Squash, Plums. hide their pollen in structures called anthers. Some bees can ‘buzz’ the anthers so that the pollen falls out for them to collect. 3. What do the European bumblebee and the native blue-banded bee have in common?

Both types of bees can be used to ‘buzz pollinate’ tomato plants.

4. What problems could arise if bumblebees were brought to mainland Australia?

Bumblebees could become invasive if they were introduced to Australia and could compete for nectar with native bees.

5. How many different types of bees do you think there are that are native to Australia?

15, 150, 500 or 1,500 An Australian native, the blue-banded bee ‘buzz pollinates’ the flower of a tomato There are over 1,500 bees native to plant. (Photo: KatjaHogendoorn). Australia.

Note: There are several varieties of 6. What is the name of some other plants in tomatoes and capsicums as well as the tomato family? potatoes growing in the Economic Garden and in the Garden of Health on Potatoes, capsicums and eggplants the western side of the Garden.

4.Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)

Argentine ants have been accidently introduced to many countries where they have become pest species. Most native ants cannot live in areas invaded by Argentine ants.

Guess What So what happens to plants that have their seeds dispersed by native ants? Botanists estimate that 11,000 plant An example can be found in South species produce specialised seeds that Africa. Unlike native ants, Argentine are spread by ants. Ant-dispersed ants do not effectively spreadthe plants are particularly common in South seeds. Without native dispersers Africa and Australia. present, seeds are left on the soil surface where they can be eaten by rodents or burnt during bush fires. In South Africa, Argentine ant invasion Seed spreaders may lead to the local extinction of some ant-dispersed plants. Golden wattlesproduce seeds with an attachment of ant food. This attachment is called an elaiosome and is very attractive to ants. Ants locate Find out more the seeds that drop from plants and How can non-native ant species be carry them back to their nests. The spread to new areas and what damage ants remove the elaiosomes from the can they do to the environment? seeds and feed them to their larvae. The seeds can remain unharmed inside http://www.environment.gov.au/biodi the ant nests. versity/threatened/publications/tap/tr ampants.html

Ant bodyguards

Golden wattle plants have glands on their leaves that provide nectar to ants. In return, the ants may act as guards. As guards, they patrol and protect leaves from leaf-eating insects.

Interactions under threat

Things to ponder

1.Can you see any leaves that have been partly eaten?

This indicates whether herbivorous insects are present.

2. Look closely at the leaves. Can you see a nectar gland on the edge of the leaves and can you see any nectar?

Drops of nectar may be seen at the glands. Sometimes ants rapidly consume the A young leaf of golden wattle that has excreted a drop of nectar. nectar. Also, nectar production can be seasonal.

3. Are there any ants on the tree? If so, describe what they are doing?

[If so], the ants are foraging and collecting nectar. [If not], discuss some possible reasons why?, e.g. the weather, perhaps there are not ants nesting nearby. [Note that nectar is produced by younger leaves.]

4. Describe how you think ants could Seeds of golden wattle have a piece of ant protect golden wattles from being eaten. food attached to them called the elaiosome.

While foraging for nectar, ants may scare off or even attack herbivorous insects. This leaves less time for herbivorous insects to feed on the leaves.

5. How could golden wattles benefit from having their seeds spread by ants?

The seeds taken into ant nests could be safe from seed-eating rodents or protected from bushfire.

5.CoastalBitterbush (Adriana quadripartita)

Butterfly food.

Guess What Plants that are food for butterfly larvae are called host plants. The coastal In a single tropical forest, a biologist bitterbush is a host plant for the found 102 plant species that provide Bitterbush Blue butterfly nectar to 30 ant species. (Theclinesthesalbocincta). The Bitterbush Blue lay their eggs on their host plant. Coastal bitterbushhas separate male and female plants. The Ants as bodyguards male plants have longer flower clusters than the females and produce large Coastal bitterbush has glands near the amounts of pollen. The butterfly larvae base of their leaves that produce mainly feed on the male flowers of nectar for ants. These glands are coastal bitterbush after hatching from called ‘extrafloral nectaries’ because their eggs. they are located outside of flowers. While the ants collect the nectar, they can scare off and attack leaf-eating insects. This can reduce the amount of Interactions under threat leaves eaten. Coastal bitterbush grows in coastal habitats of southern Australia. These habitats are under threat due to the Seed spreaders expansion of coastal towns and cities. Populations of coastal bitterbush are Coastal bitterbush also uses ants to being broken up or in some cases dying spread its seeds. The plant produces out as urban areas spread. seeds with fatty food attached that is attractive to ants. Once ants locate a The loss of coastal bitterbush seed, they carry it back to their nest populations also means that the where they eat the food but leave the interactions that this plant has with often buried seed unharmed. animals are also lost. The Bitterbush Blue butterfly is most at risk because its larvae only eat flowers from coastal bitterbush.

Things to ponder

1. Look closely at the plant. Where are the nectar glands located?

Small nectar glands are located at the base of the leaves.

2. How do coastal bitterbush plants benefit from providing nectar to ants? An ant inspecting the elaiosome of a coastal The plants benefit because the ants attack bitterbush seed. or scare off leaf-eating insects that they encounter while collecting nectar.

3. What characteristics of ants might make them effective bodyguards of coastal bitterbush plants?

Ants make good bodyguards because they are often very abundant and aggressive.

4. What could you do to help the declining populations of bitterbush plants?

Populations of coastal bitterbush could be Two extrafloral nectaries of the coastal protected from causes of damage. bitterbush. Bitterbush could be replanted where it historically grew. Bitterbush could even be promoted as a garden plant for coastal Find out more areas. Discover how to attract butterflies to your garden and what types of butterflies could be living near you?

http://www.butterflygardening.net.au/i

ndex.html

http://www.backyards4wildlife.com.au /index.php?page=attracting-wildlife-to- your-garden

http://sabutterflies.org.au/

6.Cluster Figs (Ficus racemosa)

Fruit-eating animals such as birds, bats and monkeys help to recreate tropical forests that have been destroyed; however,these seed dispersers do need Guess What encouragement. Replanting cleared areas of forest with particular plants The flowers of fig trees are not easily can attract seed-dispersing animals that seen. The flowers are actually inside bring seeds from healthy forest into the figs. degraded areas, which can help the forests regrow.

Pollination in return for a home

Even though the flowers are hidden inside the figs, they can be pollinated. Fig trees and tiny wasps have a special partnership. The figs provide the wasps with a home to breed in and in return the wasps pollinate the flowers. One type of fig tree usually relies on only one type of wasp for pollination. These partnerships are obligate because the figs and the wasps would not survive Find out more. without each other. How do fig trees and fig wasps gain benefits from the relationship they have with each other?

Fruit for all http://www.esa.org/esablog/field/the- story-of-the-fig-and-its-wasp/ Fig trees are a very important source of food for many animals in tropical http://www.figweb.org/Interaction forests. Different types of fig trees fruit at different times of a year and at times can be one of the only fruit available to animals. One biologist observed a single fig tree over a period of 21 days and recorded 44 different types of birds and monkeys eating the figs.

Interactions under threat

Things to ponder

1. Where are the figs growing on the tree? How could this help the cluster fig spread its seeds?

The figs are growing on the trunk of the tree. This may allow for a wider variety of animals to access the fruit.

Fruit growing from the trunk of a cluster fig 2. What kind of animals do you think could tree. eat the figs in the garden and help the fig tree spread their seeds?

Maybe birds like parrots and pigeons eat the figs. Maybe even possums help to spread the seeds.

3. Draw a cluster fig and show where you think a wasp can enter the fig. What size do you think the wasp would be?

The wasps enter the fig through the small opening at the top of the fig. Fig wasps are tiny, they are often only a millimetre or Common figs (Ficuscarica) are favored and two long. enjoyed by people.

4. Find some other types of fig trees in the garden. How are they different to the cluster fig tree?

There is an impressive avenue of large, old Moreton Bay figs (Ficusmacrophylla) growing along the sides of the road running southwards from the Friends Gate. These figs often produce buttresses from the trunk to support their growth.

7. Tree Caper (Capparis mitchellii)

Guess What Butterfly Migration

Many plants produce unpleasant tasting Caper White butterflies migrate and sometimes even poisonous hundreds of kilometres from central chemicals to protect their leaves from and eastern Australia where being eaten by herbivorous animals. populations of the tree caper grow. Every few years, Caper White butterflies can be seen in Adelaide. Many butterflies find their way to the Protection from leaf eaters Adelaide Botanic Gardens where they lay eggs on the tree caper. The tree caper cannot run away from insects that eat it, but it can defend itself against attack. It produces chemicals calledglucosinolates that act Interactions under threat as a defence against leaf-eating insects. When an insect chews a leaf, The interactions between plants and it triggers a chemical reaction. The butterflies are now taking place in a glucosinolate chemicals are changed rapidly changing environment. Two into new chemicals that the insects can major threats are habitat destruction smell and taste. These chemicals can and climate change. The survival of be toxic to insects or can deter them interactions between plants and from eating too much of the plant. butterflies depends on how well they cope with their changing environments.

Biologists have found that the Butterfly food butterflies suffering most are those that lay their eggs on a small number of The larvae of one insect, the Caper plant species and are unable to fly long White butterfly (Belenois java distances. Habitat destruction reduces teutonia), specialise on tree caper. the number of plants that butterflies The butterfly larvae hatch from the need. Also, habitat destruction creates eggs and feed on the leaves. The small isolated patches that butterflies glucosinolate chemicals do not harm may not be able to fly between. the butterfly larvae. Female Climate change can make existing butterflies may use the smell of the habitat unfavourable, and so, if tree capers to find the plants and lay butterflies cannot find new habitat their eggs. they can become locally extinct. Things to ponder

1. Can you see any butterflies in the garden? If so, record what they are doing?

Butterflies may be collecting nectar from flowers or searching for plants to lay eggs on. In years that Caper White butterflies migrate, they can be seen on or near the caper tree between late spring and early summer.

2. What senses do think Caper White butterflies rely on most to find their host plant, the tree caper?

Touch, Sight, Smell or Hearing. Butterflies use their sense of smell to locate their host plants. A butterfly’s ‘nose’ is its antennae. Butterflies use sight to home in on flowers while collecting nectar.

3. Describe how butterflies can help and hinder plants.

Butterflies help plants by pollinating flowers so that plants produce seeds.

Butterflies hinder plants because their larvae can damage their host plant by eating the leaves.

4. Can you describe some reasons why butterflies are sensitive to changes in their environment?

Butterfly larvae rely on particular plants to feed on, while adult butterflies need plants for their nectar. This makes butterflies sensitive to changes in the environment that reduce these resources. Such changes can be caused by damage to, or removal of, butterfly habitat.

A Caper White butterfly laying her egg on a tree caper.

Caper White butterfly larvae have hatched from their eggs and feed on the leaves of the tree caper.

Find out more

How can studying butterflies tell us about changes to the environment?

http://www.bc-europe.org

http://www.ukbms.org/indicators.aspx