This felled eucalyptus located along the American River is an
introduced species(big idea 4 # 9). It was brought to north america in the 1850s in a search for a fast growing and reliable source of lumber(it didnt meet expectations). However, it burned easily and outcompeted many native plants and did not support most native species. Taday, many are removed from forests in an attempt to return many original species to their former prevelence.
Thr four geese in the background demonstrate a flock(big idea 3 #9). Animals of essentially every variation have been observed flocking, schooling, or herding in some form. This behavior originated to increase protection to an individual. For example, a single buffalo can be taken down by a lion pack but they hesitate to attack a herd of many individuals. Likewise, if a predator want after a flock of geese they would not only notice it sooner and have more time to react but also the chances if any single individual being caught would decrease.
This domesticated citrus is an example of artificial selection(big idea 1#11). This is similar to natural selection in that plants with the best traits reproduce exceot that these traits are not always condusive to health but rather to human use. For example, trees with larger, sweeter, and more moist oranges have been selectively bred for hundreds of years to maximize the harvest from a single tree. This is NOT genetic engineering which is done in a lab, merely selection and control of the reproduction of organisms.
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