Georgia Regions and Habitats

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Georgia Regionsand Habitats

• Created by Kristi Dawdy
• Sharon Elementary
• 3rd Grade

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Before we get started, where in the world is
Georgia?Do you know?
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Georgia is in the Southeastern part of the United
States, on the continent of North America.
There it is!
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Georgia itself is divided into different regions.
Each region is different from the others in their
own special ways.
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The northern-most part of Georgia is called the
Mountain Region.
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The central part of Georgia is called the
Piedmont Region.
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The southern-most part of Georgia is called the
Coastal Plain Region.
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Georgia borders the Atlantic Ocean, so it also
has a coastline and an abundance of barrier
islands. Neat!
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Are you ready to find out what makes each region
special? Do you want to know what kinds of plants
and animals might be found in each?
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Lets start in Georgias Mountain Region! Have
you ever been to the mountains? Lets take a
little field trip, shall we?
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The Georgia Mountains
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• The Georgia Mountains
• The elevation is higher, and its shaded by
  trees. These things make the temperature cooler.
• The terrain also makes it harder to get around.
  Some people live in the mountains, but its not
  highly populated. Can you think of some reasons
  why few people live in this region?

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In the mountains, you might see..
beautiful waterfalls. This is Amicola Falls in
the North Georgia Mountains.
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In the mountains, you might see..
really tall trees like the Tulip Poplar and the
Hemlock.
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You might also see some cool animals that call
the Georgia Mountains their home. Lets see
what we can find!

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Mudpuppies and American Toads are two amphibians
which live in this habitat.
Both need to live by mountain streams, but they
love to hang out in the woods!
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Box Turtles and Copperhead Snakes are two
reptiles which live in this mountain habitat.
Can you think of a reason why these two would be
perfectly at home in the woods?
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Lots of animals love to be high in the trees of
the Georgia Mountains! Can you name these three?
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Black Bears, Mountain Lions, and Coyotes are
major predators in the mountains!
Theyre so furry! Why??
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The Black Vulture is a scavenger that keeps this
habitat clean- they have an important job here!
Sadly, they were almost wiped out due to DDT- it
made their eggs too soft to hatch. Now they are
on the Threatened List, so they are making a
comeback.
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Humans use of DDT changed this habit just enough
to almost kill off an entire species of bird.
Can you think of other ways humans could
possibly change this habitat, thus affecting the
plants and animals that thrive here?
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Hop back on the bus! Its time to leave the
Mountain Region!
Were heading south to the Piedmont Region of
Georgia! Lets go!
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The Piedmont Region
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• The Piedmont Region
• Its farther south, so the temperature is warmer
  than in the mountains.
• The land consists of rolling hills, lakes, and
  rivers.
• Atlanta is in the Piedmont, making it the highest
  populated region of Georgia. Why do so many
  people like this region?

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In the Piedmont, you might see..
lots of tall buildings and twisting highways.
Hey whats that building with the gold dome?
Pretty!
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In the Piedmont, you might see..
Dogwood, Sweet Gum, and Hickory Trees!
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Lets see what animals we can find here! No
hiking boots needed this time!

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We could use a canoe though! Lets check out the
lakes and rivers first!

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Near the Chattahoochee River and Lake Lanier, we
might find some interesting critters! Water makes
a great habitat!
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Snapping Turtles and River Otters thrive in the
Piedmont Region.
Can you think of some reasons why these two would
be perfectly at home in the water?
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The Piedmont is home to the Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker and the Mourning Dove.

Peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck..
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The Piedmont is also home to White-tailed Deer.
They prefer wooded areas, but as we continue to
populate the area, we force them into unsafe
territory.

Dont do it little guy! Look both ways!
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As we increase the human population in this
region, we continue to push animals out of their
natural habitats. Here are some coyotes in
downtown Atlanta- if caught, they are most likely
re-released outside of the state. They are not a
threat to humans, but they do prey upon family
pets now that we share a habitat with them.
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Can you think of other ways humans could possibly
change this habitat, thus affecting the plants
and animals that thrive here? How can we protect
the environment?
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Load up! Lets head farther south into the
Coastal Plain Region! Its a big region, so we
have lots to explore!
Coastal Plain
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The Coastal Plain Region
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• The Coastal Plain Region
• It makes up southern Georgia, so its the warmest
  region of the state.
• The land is flat, and the soil is mostly sandy.
  This creates a unique environment for many
  different plants and animals.
• Its a great region to vacation in. Can you think
  of some reasons why?

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In the Coastal Plain, you might see..
a lack of hills and an abundance of water.
Actually, most of the water is on the east side
of the state. The western side is pretty, but
flat.
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In the Coastal Plain, you might see..
marshes and swamps. The Okefenokee Swamp one of
the largest swamps in the U.S. and is a habitat
for many different species of plants and animals.
Want to see some?
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The Okefenokee Swamp is obviously a very wet,
mucky place to be!
Most trees would drown in this habitat, but not
the Cypress- it loves all that muck!
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That muck is also a great habitat for American
Alligators. They call the swamps home!
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Want to go for a little swim??? (Ill pass!)
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Since mosquitoes need warm temperatures and water
in which to lay their eggs.
The swamps are a perfect habitat for the little
blood-suckers! Ouch!
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Closer to the coast, there are lots of tall
pines and Saw Palmettos.
Georgias state bird, the Brown Thrasher, might
nest in trees like these!
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If I were a bird, Id make my home in one of
Georgias Live Oaks! (Its the Georgia State
Tree!)
It has lots of huge branches to choose from, and
the moss that grows on them would make perfect
nesting material!
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Wire grass and sea weed are two type of
vegetation that abound near the coast.
Southern Toads love the nestle among the
vegetation and catch mosquitoes! Yummy!
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Double-crested Cormorants, Snowy Egrets, and Blue
Heron love to live near the coastal waters. Can
you guess why?
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This region is also home to the venomous Coral
Snake!
Red on black, friend of Jack. Red on yellow, kill
a fellow!
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The Little Grass Frog is one of the tiniest
critters that live in this coastal habitat.
The armadillo is one of the most unique animals
that make this region their home. (They just
dont fare so well with the traffic!)
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Can you brainstorm some things that humans might
do to try to conserve this habitat for all of the
plants and animals that live here?
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Where the warm, salty waters of the Atlantic
Ocean meet our state, a very unique habitat is
created.
Welcome to the beaches and barrier islands of
Georgia!
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Jekyll Islalnd and St. Simons Island are two of
many barrier islands along Georgias coast.
Lets make our field trip a bit more interesting!
Want to?
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To see some of Georgias coolest animals, well
need one of these! SubBelow MarineWater
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The Right Whale is Georgias State Mammal!
They were named Right because when they
were hunted long ago, they were easy to catch,
they floated when killed, and they held lots of
oil and meat. They were just right for hunting.
Sadly, they were almost hunted to extinction.
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Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins also live in
this habitat!
Ok, so this habitat extends beyond our state, but
we are lucky enough to have these animals call
Georgia waters home.
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Loggerhead Sea Turtles and Manatees can also be
found in waters off of Georgias coast! Both are
also considered endangered.
Manatees like to swim close to the surface, and
so many get killed or injured by boats. Sea
turtles are caught in fishing traps and nets
quite often.
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Can you think of other ways that humans put the
sea creatures in danger? Can you think of some
ways we can try to protect them?
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I hope you enjoyed our field trip through
Georgias Habitats! Keep going for some cool
ideas to take your learning to the next level!
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Which of Georgias regions is your favorite?
Write about what you love about it! If you could
be one of the many animals that live in Georgia,
which would you be? Write about a day in your
life as that animal.
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Make a list of animals that dont live in any of
Georgias habitats. Why do they not live here?
Why are they not suited to any of the habitats
here?
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Think about the features that some animals have
that make them feel perfectly at home in one of
Georgias habitats. Can you design or create a
brand new animal that has similar features so
that they could survive happily in one of
Georgias habitats?
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Create a 3-D Diorama of one of Georgias
habitats. What animals and plants must you
include to make it seem more life-like?
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Make posters to hang around the school
encouraging others to keep our environment clean.
Organize a team to periodically clean up garbage
around your school.
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Research ways in which we have impacted the
environment locally, thus making it harder for
plants or animals to survive. What steps can we
take to improve the environments for these
organisms?
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Take a trip to Zoo Atlanta! The zoo has many
wonderful animals that dont normally live in
Georgia. What special things must the zoo do in
order to make them feel like they are in their
natural habitats while they are in Georgia?
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