Food_Web_Diagrame

Desert Food Web Diagram Desert Food Web Diagram Primary Carnivores[pic][pic] Mt. Lion Coyote Secondary Carnivores [pic] [pic] Raptors Rattlesnake Primary Consumers [pic] [pic] [pic] Jack Rabbit Kangaroo rat Gecko Secondary Consumers[pic] [pic] [pic] Cactus Ren Fire Ant Grass Hopper Producers [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] Plants of the desert Primary Carnivores: Mountain Lions, Coyotes, top predators, eats sheep large rodents. Seasonal movements within a fixed range commonly are in response to prey movements. Follow migrating herds. Active yearlong, mostly nocturnal, finds cover in caves, natural cavities and thickets. They are capable of existing long periods without water. Secondary Carnivores: Raptors, Rattlesnakes, Raptors have sophisticated binocular vision which enables them to accurately assess distances and pinpoint their prey. Their eyes also are equipped with bony rings which can squeeze and elongate the eyeball that enlarges the image seen by the bird. Raptors use the updrafts of thermals or hillslopes to rise effortlessly rarely needing to flap their huge wings. Snakes like warmer temperatures better than colder ones. If it gets too hot they will look for a cooler place. They need to be near warm surroundings to be active. Hibernate during cold season in burrows under ground. When hibernating, the snake’s heartbeat slows and it needs less oxygen and energy. Its body temperature falls and breathing slows down. Snakes eat more food before they hibernate so that they can live on stored fat.  Gecko are carnivores they eat mostly insects (like crickets, springtails, and cockroaches) and mealworms, but they also eat young birds, eggs, and tiny mammals, hunting for their prey at night. Desert geckos have fringed feet that let them run across sand very easily. Primary Consumers: Jack Rabbits are fast-moving mammals that leap. Most hares live for about a year in the wild. Jack Rabbits are herbivores. They eat grasses, herbs, leaves, bark, and twigs. Kangaroo Rats are small, hopping rodents that have powerful hind legs which they use to hop, dig burrows and protect themselves from predators like rattlesnakes. Kangaroo Rats are nocturnal; they are most active at night and spend the hot days in their burrows. Kangaroo Rats eat mostly seeds. They need very little water; moisture is obtained from their food. They have fur-lined pouches on the sides of their face; they use the pouches to carry food to their burrow. Both are hunted by raptors, coyotes. Secondary Consumers: Desert insects are well-evolved and suited for handling the rough conditions in the deserts. Their evolution depends upon various factors such as temperature, sand, availability of water, etc. They have adapted to every ecological condition that we can find in a desert. Some insects blend so well with the surroundings that they are hardly visible. They make their homes in plants, sand, soil, rocks. They are the primary prey for small birds and most reptiles. Decomposers: Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organized colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. Ant societies have division of labor, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. Their success has been attributed to their social organization and their ability to modify habitats. They are the primary prey for small birds and most reptiles. Most ants are generalist predators, scavengers and indirect herbivores; they usually feed exclusively on a fungus that they grow within their colony. Producers: Plants in the desert are forced to make many adoptions in order to survive in this dry, hot land. Some adoptions are when rain falls they sprout at that moment, bloom quickly ripen their seed in a few days, then whither and die. Other plants depend on underground water. Most plants have developed roots that grow up to 80 ft. long. The Cactus also survives because it has a thick waxy layer on the outside of its stems and leaves. This helps to retain water and protect tissues from intense sunlight. Other plants store water in their fleshy stems or leaves and are called succulents. The desert is a harsh environment with very little rainfall and extreme temperatures; a desert is defined as a region that gets less than ten inches of precipitation per year. Because of these dry conditions, there is limited plant and animal life in deserts. Hazards: Population explosion, reservoirs drying up causing drought. Mining for natural resources. References Adaptations to A Desert Biome. (N/A). Retrieved from http://www.vtaide.com/png/desertBiomes.htm Desert Habitats. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/desert/desert.shtml Introduction to Sahara desert food chain. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.tutorvista.com/biology/sahara-desert-food-chain