Red spruce

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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/red-spruce

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. How tall is Red spruce?Can exceed 115 feet (35 meters)
2. What is the scientific name?Picea rubens
3. What is the typical lifespan?200-300 years, with some individuals living over 400 years
4. What makes the Red Spruce one of the tallest trees in its forest?It can grow 60-80 feet tall, and sometimes over 115 feet, because it loves cool, moist, acidic soils and can handle waterlogged conditions.
5. Where can you find the Red Spruce in North America?In eastern North America, from Newfoundland and Labrador all the way down to the Appalachian Mountains, especially in bogs, peatlands, and higher mountain slopes.

Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
Coniferous: Relating to or denoting trees that bear cones and have needle-like or scale-like leaves, typically evergreen.
Forest Dynamics: The study of changes in forest structure, composition, and function over time.