SOUTH AFRICAN PONY CLUB

Transcription

1 SOUTH AFRICAN PONY CLUB Indigenous Trees and Wild Flowers Achievement Badge Workbook Objectives: Recognise 6 flowers and 6 trees from the following: Indigenous Plants and Flowers Asparagus Fern Water Lily Arum Lily Strelitzia Agapanthus Wild Garlic Flame Lily Vygie Common Sugarbush Wild Dagga Wild Iris Ivy-leaved geranium Pelargonium Plumbago Namaqualand Daisy Red Hot Poker Indigenous Trees White stinkwood Umbrella Thorn(Acacia) Euphorbia Wisteria Baobab Common Sugarbush Cabbage Tree Mopani King Protea Cycad Key points: Have a general knowledge of the uses of plants/flowers/trees (food, medicines, fuel etc) Have knowledge of the dangers faced by some plants / flowers/ trees (loss of habitat, shortage of water, etc) and suggest what can be done to save them from extinction Have knowledge of problems caused by introduced species or alien invaders (excessive use of water, lack of predators and can take over the landscape) Additional activities: Visit a botanical garden, park, wetland, nursery or a national park Grow an item from seed NAME BRANCH

2 Indigenous Plants and Flowers Water Lily Pelargonium Flame Lily Plumbago Arum Lily Strelitzia Wild Dagga Asparagus Fern Wild Iris Wild Garlic Red Hot Poker Agapanthus Vygie Namaqualand Daisy Ivy leaved geranium Plants and their uses: Virtually all human nutrition depends on plants directly or indirectly. Food Fruit trees and Vegetable plants provide us with human and animal food. Spices obtained from plants also give us flavouring for cooked dishes. Rice, wheat and corn are staple foods in our diets. Non-food products Wood is used for buildings, furniture, paper, cardboard, musical instruments and sports equipment. Resin and cork are also made from trees. Cloth is often made from cotton and flax. Fuels are gained from plants (firewood, and bio-fuels (from mielies). Medicines derived from plants include aspirin, morphine, opium, citronella (insect repellents).

3 Indigenous Trees White Stinkwood Umbrella Thorn (Acacia) Mopani Euphorbia Wisteria King Protea Common Sugarbush Baobab Cycad Cabbage Tree Aloe Aesthetic uses Plants make our gardens and parks look beautiful (cut flowers used in homes, businesses & functions like weddings) They provide shade, reduce wind, abate noise, and provide privacy

4 They also play an important role in the prevention of soil erosion Through photosynthesis, green plants absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen They provide animals with a place to nest and a safe haven Dangers faced by plants Insufficient space, due to new development and building Loss of habitat due to fires Too little water/rain Global warming Poor soil fertility (having poor value, or insufficient nutrients) Unable to reproduce due to change in eco-systems (they rely on birds and insects to effect pollination. If the birds and insects in the area leave, the eco-system is affected) Grazing animals may affect vegetation Bacteria, fungi, and chemicals Over-crowding by alien species How can we save them? Never buy or plant alien species Remove existing aliens from your garden Plant trees and flowers that are indigenous to South Africa Plant shrubs that attract birds and insects to your garden (helps pollinate!) Government should establish and keep more open parks to preserve plants Minimise urban development in forests or areas where plants are abundant Do your bit to help the environment by not littering, or polluting the environment Build around trees (if you can) instead of cutting them down! Alien Species: People bring in plants from other regions/countries and some of these introduced plants become invasive They damage existing ecosystems by displacing our indigenous (native) species There are so many of these plants, that they are crowding our plants Our animals and insects are not used to alien species and do not eat them, so they have no natural predators. This means they are not kept in check and so they grow and spread quickly Almost all insects are specialized. That means they eat only certain plants. If these specific plants are no longer here, these insects will starve - affecting the food chain. When insects start to die off, then the bird species that live on those insects can t feed Alien plants tend to need and use more water. Generally, plants from SA are used to our climate and are specially adapted to need less water!

5 Self-assessment / tasks 1. Find leaves from any 3 indigenous flowers from your area. Stick the leaves in the spaces provided & name the flower. Do the same for 3 trees. FLOWERS TREES

6 2. Name 3 trees or plants that have medicinal value 3. Name 2 things that YOU could do to help prevent our indigenous trees & flowers from going extinct 4. Why are there trees in your garden? Name at least 2 types of trees that you can find