Guided Imagery: Wolves

Guided Imagery: American Alligator

Directions:​ Read the case study on the American Alligator on page 77 of your textbook in
conjunction with the handout on Alligators in Florida. Create a visual map that shows why
the American Alligator is important.
 Guided Imagery Events
Wolves:
1. Wolves reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park
2. Wolves prey on elk, so the elk keep moving to avoid predation
3. Aspen trees grow healthy without the elk and attract beavers
4. Beavers chomp down on trees and build dams on the streams and rivers
5. Swamplands are formed because of the dams
6. Swamps purify the water and the Yellowstone River becomes cleaner and healthier

American Alligator:
1. Alligators move from gator holes to nesting mounds
2. Their movement keeps the area clear of shrubs and trees
3. Fish and other aquatic animals thrive in the clear waters
4. Increase in birds that feed on fish
5. Alligators scare away racoons that want to eat bird eggs
6. All species now live in a perfect balance of predators and prey
Alligators in Florida:
Adapted from NicerWeb.com
http://bio1110.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch09/keystone.html

The American alligator is a ​keystone​ species in the Florida Everglades.

Gator holes provide mini wet habitats during the dry season.
Some birds such as ​wood storks​ prefer to nest in trees surrounded by alligators;
without gators, ​raccoons​ will raid nests for eggs and chicks.