What is the Desert Food Chain like?

The Desert food chain Is composed of the sequence of plants, herbivorous and carnivorous animals, by which energy and materials move within that ecosystem.

The food chain usually consists of a producer, a consumer and a predator. In the food chain everything is a cycle: the organism at the top of the desert food chain will eventually die and return to the bottom of the chain in the form of nutrients needed for the decomposer.

Desert food chain

Man, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is the primary predator in any environment. An example of this is the coyote.

The coyote's natural predator was at one time the wolf, but the wolf has been driven out of the desert by the human. Now the human occupies the place of wolf, since the man and his vehicles are one of the main causes of the death of the coyotes.

You may also be interested in Terrestrial food chain .

Levels of the desert food chain

First level: producers

The plants, or producers, capture the energy of the sun and make up the first level of the chain. Energy is essential for the growth of all organisms and life processes.

Energy enters the food chain through the plants, in the form of sunlight. This energy is used by plants to grow and reproduce.

In the desert, some producers include: cactus, grass and desert shrubs.

Cactus

There are about 1,750 known cacti species. They occur in various shapes and sizes. They live in places where there is a lot of drought, so they have adaptations to conserve water in their organisms.

Some species are succulent, with thick parts that store water. Other species have thorns to prevent water loss and to protect themselves from other herbivores.

In cacti, photosynthesis takes place on the stem as they lack leaves.

Second level: herbivores

Energy begins to move through the food chain when plant tissue is consumed by animals.

In this case, we talk about insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. Herbivores are animals that only consume plants.

Some herbivores that make up the desert food chain include the turtle, the squirrels, the antelope, the desert rabbits and the chacahuala.

Chacahuala

They are large reptiles inhabiting arid regions; Are part of the iguana family. They are very common in the deserts of North America.

They feed on fruits, leaves and flowers of perennials. It is believed that they prefer to eat the yellow flowers.

Tortoise

Most land turtles are herbivorous. They feed on grass, grasses, green leaves, flowers, and some fruits.

Third level: carnivores

After the second level, the food chain moves to the third level. At this stage, the tissue of herbivorous animals is consumed by animals such as spiders, snakes and hawks.

Animals that only consume the flesh of other animals are called carnivores.

Mountain lion (puma)

They are great feline carnivores. They consume desert rabbits, rodents, porcupines, coyotes and insects. They usually attack their prey on the ground, locating them by their smell.

Snakes

They are very common in the deserts; There are thousands of species around the world, each with its distinct characteristics.

Some species are poisonous. All snakes are carnivorous; Feed on other snakes, small mammals, insects and eggs.

Red tailed hawk

It is a bird that can be found in many habitats. They feed on small mammals such as hares, reptiles, amphibians, and smaller birds.

Fourth level: carnivores and scavengers

The chain then continues to the fourth level. Here, carnivores eat other carnivores.

An example of this is the wasps of the spiders or pompílidos, that they hunt to tarantulas; Snakes that eat other snakes; The eagles that eat azores; And gray foxes that eat shrews.

Omnivores, which feed on both other animals and plants, include leaf-eaters that eat flies and flowers; Colored lizards that eat fruits and insects; And coyotes, who eat fruits and small animals.

Animals that feed on decaying organisms are called scavengers. In the desert there are several carrion animals, such as worms that feed on dead plant tissue; Or red-headed vultures that feed on animal carcasses.

Coyote

They are opportunistic omnivorous animals native to North America. Their diet consists of mice, rats, insects, amphibians, snakes, birds, and some fruits. Coyotes are adaptive predators.

Gila monster

It is a poisonous reptile that usually inhabits the deserts of Mexico and the United States; Is one of the two venomous reptiles found in North America.

It is a heavy and slow reptile that can reach 60 cm in length; Usually spend 90% of their time hidden under rocks or hidden in cactus plants.

They feed on small birds, eggs, mammals, frogs, reptiles, insects and carrion.

Fifth level: decomposers

There are microscopic animals called decomposers. These feed on dead tissue or on decomposition of animals or plants.

In the desert it is difficult for many decomposers to stay alive as these organisms prefer humid places.

One of the biggest decomposers in the deserts are bacteria, since they are so small they can live in the air.

Over time, these organisms break down all organic matter into carbon dioxide and water.

In this way these elements can be used by plants in photosynthesis and the cycle can continue again.

Some decomposers in the desert include beetles, millipedes and worms.

References

  1. Desert food chain. Recovered from desertusa.com.
  2. Gila monster. Retrieved from wikipedia.org.
  3. Desert producers and consumers. Retrieved from study.com.
  4. Red tail hawk. Retrieved from digital-desert.com.
  5. What are some producers and consumers of the desert? Retrieved from reference.com
  6. Mountain lion. Retrieved from digital-desert.com.
  7. Desert food chain. Retrieved from digital-desert.com.
  8. Cactus. Retrieved from wikipedia.org.


Loading ..

Recent Posts

Loading ..