Eastern hemlock

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/eastern-hemlock

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Tsuga canadensis
2. What is the diet?Autotrophic; produces its own food via photosynthesis
3. Where does the Eastern hemlock grow?It grows from Nova Scotia down to Wisconsin and Georgia, especially on cool, moist slopes, ravines, and stream banks.
4. Why are Eastern hemlocks important for the forest?They keep the soil steady on steep slopes, help clean water by stopping sediment, and give shade that keeps stream temperatures cool for fish like trout.

Foundation Species: A species that provides habitat and support for a community of other organisms, significantly influencing ecosystem structure.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA): An invasive insect pest (Adelges tsugae) that feeds on the sap of Eastern hemlocks, causing widespread tree mortality.
Riparian Corridor: The interface between land and a river or stream, characterized by unique vegetation and ecological processes.
Autotrophic: An organism that produces its own food, typically through photosynthesis.