Species on the Move

Science · Ecosystems & Habitats · ages 12-13

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What is an invasive species?
- Any animal that migrates every year like birds flying south for winter
- A species that moves to a new area and harms the plants and animals already living there
- A species that only lives in zoos
Which of these is an example of environmental change affecting species distribution?
- A logging company clears a forest, forcing animals to leave
- A family recycles their plastic bottles
- A zoo adds a new enclosure for tigers
The comma butterfly's range in the UK has shifted north as the climate has warmed.
Circle one: True False
A southern ant species arrives in a northern city. Cold winters there used to kill it, but now the winters are mild, so the ant stays all year and pushes out the local ants. What does this show?
- Milder winters can let an invasive species settle where it could not survive before
- The local ants were always going to disappear, weather or not
- Warmer weather only ever helps native species
A species that eats only one type of plant found on a cool mountainside is likely to be ___ to climate change than a species that eats many different foods.
- less vulnerable
- not affected at all
- more vulnerable
The chart shows the comma butterfly's range moved from 0 km further north in the 1970s to 220 km further north by the 2020s. How many kilometers did its range shift over that time?
Answer: ______________
A coral species can only survive within a narrow water temperature range and cannot relocate. A gull species can fly long distances and eat many different foods. Which is more vulnerable to environmental change, and why?
- Both are equally vulnerable since all species respond to change in the same way
- The gull, because flying uses a lot of energy
- The coral, because it needs very specific conditions and can't move to escape change
Tom says: 'If a species can't survive in its usual habitat anymore, it will always go extinct.' What is wrong with his reasoning?
- Tom is completely correct
- Some species can shift their range to a new, more suitable area instead of going extinct
- Species never need to move when their habitat changes

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Species on the Move W1-mt_JSUGQ5Repv-s1

A species that moves to a new area and harms the plants and animals already living there · Regular migration is a normal, harmless pattern. An invasive species is different: it settles somewhere new and causes damage there.
A logging company clears a forest, forcing animals to leave · Clearing a forest removes the habitat a species depends on, so animals must move elsewhere or lose their home.
True · As average temperatures rose, the comma butterfly spread into areas that used to be too cold for it, moving its range roughly 220 km further north.
Milder winters can let an invasive species settle where it could not survive before · Cold winters used to be a wall that kept the ant out. Milder winters removed that wall, so the ant moved in and harmed the local ants. Environmental change opened the door for an invasive species.
more vulnerable · Specialists that depend on one food source or habitat have fewer options when conditions change, so they are more at risk.
220 · Subtract the starting point from the ending point: 220 km minus 0 km is 220 km.
The coral, because it needs very specific conditions and can't move to escape change · The coral is stuck with narrow needs and no way to move, while the gull's flexibility in diet and movement lets it cope better.
Some species can shift their range to a new, more suitable area instead of going extinct · A range shift lets a species survive by moving to better conditions elsewhere, so habitat loss doesn't always mean extinction.