WETLAND, FOREST & OTHER BIOMES

BIOMES: "A major community of living or-
ganisms; a complex of climax communities
of plants and animals in a major region."
"A major life zone, biotic formation."
"A major ecological community type."

DESERT BIOMES: SONORA, SAHARA, etc.
A little known, less understood, often abused, tough but fragile part of the south- western U.S., and the famous African sea of sand. 3 programs. 60 slides and texts.
EP #107X SLIDES
$99.95

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SAVE OVER $27.00 ON 3 SLIDE SET BUNDLE ORDER EP 107X........$99.95
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ECOLOGY OF THE SONORAN DESERT Order #107........$42.50

A detailed study of highly specialized life forms, their interactions, and their
adjustments to this unique American arboreal desert area, subject to heat, drought and
flooding. Included are saguaro and various other cacti, gila woodpecker, water hole,
spadefoot toad, purplemat, antelope squirrels, desert tortoise, tarantula, paloverde,
ocotillo, mesquite, road runner, peccary, horned toad and predators. 20 slides and
detailed guide.

CONTENT SAMPLE: 462 The Sonoran Desert is spoken of as an arboreal or tree desert
because sizeable trees and the tree-like saguaro grow here. Despite the lack of water, trees too
have evolved and adapted to a desert existence. The trunk, every limb, every twig and even the
thorns of this tree are green, earning it the name paloverde (pa-lo-vair-day, Spanish for “green
trunk”). The coloration comes from chlorophyll in the bark that permits photosynthesis to continue
even in the absence of leaves.

As part of its adaptation to desert living, paloverde sheds its tiny leaves and even its
branches during long periods of drought. This reduces the amount of water lost by evaporation
and conserves the very limited supply. Since the bark of the tree is able to carry on
photosynthesis, the tree is able to continue to manufacture its own food and survive for long
periods even without leaves.

The leaves, twigs, pods and beans provide an important source of food for many desert
animals.

REVIEWS: "...thoroughly researched and well written... stresses adaptations and
organismal interrelationships and the fragility of them...recommended ...useful at the college
(freshman) as well as the high school or grade school level." M.C.J. The Southwestern Naturalist.
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ECOLOGY OF A BLOWOUT Order #127..........$42.50

Blowouts are craters or minideserts, areas of exposed whirling sand created
when the fragile ground cover of the Sand Hill region of Nebraska is damaged. This
program presents the story of blowouts, how they occur, what creatures find their way to
them, and how these scars are eventually healed. 20 slides and guide.

CONTENT SAMPLE: 26901 Some blowouts are large and others are small. Some are
shallow while others are deep. Again, this depends on a number of factors: the type of soil, the
extent to which the pasture has been grazed, and the vegetation in the blowout--which depends
upon the particular stage to which plant succession has progressed.

The bank of the blowout on top is about 6 to 8 m (20 to 25 ft.) high. Winds have swept
the ground bare on the right and deposited the sand in symmetrical ripples to the left. The soil to
the right is darker, indicating that a layer of organic matter has been reached. This will slow the
activity of the wind.

On bottom is a close-up in which we can see how the wind cuts into the bank of a
blowout. Sand grains are rough in texture and irregular in shape. They do, literally, “cut” into
surfaces with which they come into contact. Roots of plants growing in the sand help shape the
banks, too, and the moisture content of the soil also plays a part.

Here it is also interesting to note the depth of the shelves, or ledges, formed by the wind.
One day the wind will cut deeper yet into the bank, they will crumble away, and new patterns will
form.

REVIEWS: “These slides and the detailed descriptive notes that accompany them
could, by themselves, serve as an introduction to ecology and ecological relationships at the
intermediate, junior high or even senior high school level....The suggested activities are excellent."
Media Review.
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THE EXPANDING DESERT Order #176..........$42.50

Introduces and summarizes the causes and results of the expansion of desert
areas worldwide, with special reference to the Sahal. Discusses man's role in the spread
of deserts and what can be done to halt it. Pictures from Africa and the U.S. illustrate
deserts, overgrazing, refugees, irrigation and water utilization. 20 slides and guide.

CONTENT SAMPLE: 21678 The world's largest, most famous desert is the Sahara. The
name is Arabic for brown and empty and when properly pronounced, the "h" sound suggests that
the speaker has a dry, sore throat, as if he had been exposed to the desert too long. The Arab
uses the word not to name any particular desert, but all deserts, or more accurately, all dry,
barren lands, whether or not sand is prominent.

The Sahara is immense, stretching for 5,149 km (3,200 miles) across North Africa, an
area practically the size of all 50 United States. To the north it extends to the Mediterranean
Sea, and includes mountain areas. Southward it runs into the savannas and then into the
tropical jungles. Although the Sahara has a population of more than three million, it seems to
swallow them up, dwarfing people and their habitations as the ocean dwarfs a ship. Considered
a sea, the Sahara's southern fringe is called the Sahel, which is Arabic for shore or edge. This
Sahelian area caught the attention of the world in the early 1970's when a severe drought caused
mass hunger, starvation and death.

REVIEWS: "... an effective means of illustrating what is an especially visual science.
The topical arrangement enables teachers to build subject presentations...effective either as an
introduction...or as a summary. Thus they can be a useful supplement to the textbook and
should enhance interest and understanding..." Journal of College Science Teaching.

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RELATED PROGRAMS WORTH NOTING
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SAND DUNE ECOLOGY AND FORMATION Video order #FV-1020V........$79.95

The extensive sand dune system of the Oregon Coast. Concentrating on the
dune area covering 45% of the Oregon coast, this program outlines the fascinating and
arduous process of dune formation, where the sand comes from and how it is continually
moved and shaped, then details the many plants, trees, animals, insects and birds that
colonize these dunes and others throughout North America. Video or 2 filmstrips &
cassettes, detailed guide. (Filmstrips order FS-1020F.........$59.95)

CONTENT SAMPLE:

6. Sand dunes are found throughout the world. The most famous are in Africa, along the
coasts of Chile, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and in Australia, the Middle East and
India. The largest sand area is the Sahara Desert, which covers 3.5 million square miles.

7. Some are far from the sea. In North America alone, Colorado's Great Sand Dunes
National Monument (left) and Death valley in California (right) have extensive inland dune areas.
There are also significant dune systems in Wyoming, New Mexico, Michigan, Indiana and
Nebraska.

8. The Atlantic Coast of the U.S. has numerous dune complexes formed by glacial
deposits, such as these on the Cape Cod National Seashore, at left, and Long Island's famous
Jones Beach, on the right. The tallest dunes on the East Coast reach 150 ft. on the North
Carolina Outer Banks.

REVIEWS: “...provides an interesting and complete perspective...does much to
dismiss the attitude that dunes are just useless mountains of blowing sand. Recommended.”
Science Books and Films.
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I WALK IN THE DESERT Video order #EV-2178V.........$79.95

Human migration and economic exploitation of promising portions of the desert
southwest threaten this fragile ecosystem. Film details some of the treasures of the
region--numerous National Parks, native plants and animals, and stunning geological
features. Live action video.
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~1874-073~ Death Valley. photo by Jan Gumprecht.

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