Fraser fir

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/fraser-fir

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?Abies fraseri
2. What is the conservation status?Endangered
3. Where does the Fraser fir grow?It grows on cool, moist mountain slopes above 4,500 feet in the Appalachian range. The fog and rain there keep it happy.
4. Why is the Fraser fir endangered?The tree is endangered because a tiny insect called the balsam woolly adelgid eats its bark and stops it from getting water and food. Climate change and pollution also make it harder for the tree to survive.

Endemic: Native and restricted to a particular geographic region.
Montane Ecosystems: Ecological communities found in mountainous regions, characterized by specific climate and flora.
Balsam Woolly Adelgid: An invasive insect pest that causes significant damage and mortality to fir trees.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance.