Glacier buttercup

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/glacier-buttercup

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?Dryas octopetala
2. What is the ecological role?Pioneer species, soil stabilization, indicator of climate change, food source for invertebrates
3. How does the glacier buttercup stay warm in the cold?It grows low to the ground in dense mats, has silvery hairs on its leaves that keep heat in, and its roots hold it firmly in the soil.
4. Why is the glacier buttercup important for other plants?It is a pioneer species that starts new plant communities, helps build soil, and keeps the ground from eroding, so other plants can grow later.

Circumboreal: Species or distribution that circles the globe in the northern hemisphere.
Cryophilic: Organisms that thrive in cold environments.
Pioneer Species: Hardy species that are the first to colonize barren environments or disturbed land.
Phenology: The study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.