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    Cambridge WB8 Science 4.1

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    yotymohamed5
    The document discusses a passage about the Sonoran desert ecosystem and the saguaro cactus. It focuses on describing the saguaro cactus' habitat in the Sonoran desert, how it is adapted to that habitat, and how it provides habitat and food for other species like birds and bats. Exercises are included to think about how the ecosystem would be impacted if related species declined or were removed.

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    Cambridge WB8 Science 4.1

    Uploaded by

    yotymohamed5
    62 views3 pages
    The document discusses a passage about the Sonoran desert ecosystem and the saguaro cactus. It focuses on describing the saguaro cactus' habitat in the Sonoran desert, how it is adapted to that habitat, and how it provides habitat and food for other species like birds and bats. Exercises are included to think about how the ecosystem would be impacted if related species declined or were removed.

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    The document discusses a passage about the Sonoran desert ecosystem and the saguaro cactus. It focuses on describing the saguaro cactus' habitat in the Sonoran desert, how it is adapted to that habitat, and how it provides habitat and food for other species like birds and bats. Exercises are included to think about how the ecosystem would be impacted if related species declined or were removed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    62 views3 pages

    Cambridge WB8 Science 4.1

    Uploaded by

    yotymohamed5
    The document discusses a passage about the Sonoran desert ecosystem and the saguaro cactus. It focuses on describing the saguaro cactus' habitat in the Sonoran desert, how it is adapted to that habitat, and how it provides habitat and food for other species like birds and bats. Exercises are included to think about how the ecosystem would be impacted if related species declined or were removed.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this title.

    4 Ecosystems
    4.1 The Sonoran desert

    E
    Exercise 4.1 The Sonoran desert
    ecosystem
    In this exercise, you will practise finding and using information in a

    Focus PL
    written passage. You will think about different habitats in an ecosystem.
    You will also consider how different species interact with each other in
    an ecosystem, and how the loss of one species could affect others.

    Saguaro cacti are found only in the Sonoran desert in Arizona, USA.
    They can live to be 200 years old.
    Saguaro cacti grow in dry places, where it rains only occasionally.
    M
    Their roots spread out widely, just below the soil surface. This means that
    they can capture a lot of water when it rains.
    They do not have leaves, because water would evaporate from them.
    The plant would dry out. Instead, the cactus uses its green stems to
    make food by photosynthesis.
    SA

    Saguaro cacti cannot grow in places where the temperature falls below
    0°C. Their cells are killed if they freeze.
    There are sharp spines on the cactus
    stems, which protect them from
    being eaten by animals.

    69to publication.
    Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior
    We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this title.

    4 Ecosystems

    1 Describe the habitat of the saguaro cactus.

    2 Describe two ways in which the saguaro cactus is adapted to live in


    this habitat.

    E
    3 It is much colder on the mountains than in the desert. Explain why

    Practice
    PL
    saguaro cacti cannot grow on the high mountains.

    Saguaro cacti provide habitats and food for other species in the desert.
    M
    Some species of birds, including Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers,
    use their beaks to make nest holes in their stems. After these birds have
    left the nest, other birds such as elf owls use the holes. Harris hawks
    make their nests of sticks where the arms of the cactus branch from the
    main stem.
    The cactus flowers produce pollen and nectar. These are eaten by bats,
    SA

    which pollinate the flowers. The flowers produce fruits after they have
    been pollinated. The fruits are eaten by birds, mammals and reptiles,
    such as desert tortoises.

    70
    Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior to publication.
    We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this title.

    4.1 The Sonoran desert

    4 Use this information to suggest how the Saguaro desert ecosystem


    would be affected if:
    • all the Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers died out

    E
    • all the saguaro cacti died out.

    Challenge
    PL
    Many parts of Arizona have plenty of rainfall. They provide habitats for
    many different species of plant.
    M
    5 Suggest why saguaro cacti do not grow in these wetter areas.
    SA

    71to publication.
    Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior

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