Alexander Portillo
Desert Biome
Desert Biome Food Web
The producers are the saguaro cactus, prickly pear cactus, fluff grass, and the velvet mesquite . The primary consumers are those that eat the producers for thier energy. The following are primary consumers: wood rat,antelope squirrel and red harvester ants. The secondary consumer is the hawk and snake.
Mutalism
Mutalism is by which one organism benefits and the other benefits as well. An example of mutalism is a bird eating a cactus fruit seed. The bird benefits by getting food and the cactus benefits by the spreading of its seeds.
Commensalism
Commensalism is by which one organism benefits but the other is neither harmed or benefited. An example of commensalism is a bird creating a nest inside a cactus. The bird benefits by getting shelter and the cactus is unaffected .
Parsitism
Parsitism is by which one organism benefits but the other is negatively affected. An example of parsitism is a flea or tick sucking the blood from a wood rat.
How do humans empact the desert environment?
Negative Impact
Humans have impacted the desert biome in that they have polluted the atmosphere. This affects all biomes, including the desert. People have also drilled for many fossil fuels, such as oil, in the desert. This causes pollution and is harmful to the animals living near the oil wells. Humans have also taken sand from the desert and hunted animals in the desert. Because of this, several species of animals in the desert have become endangered or even extinct! If this continues, the desert may not even have any life! The desert biome is full of life such as bugs and reptiles, but humans may eventually destroy this ecosystem, harming the entire desert!
Positive Impact
Although humans have many negative impacts, there are positive effects they have. After wildfires occur, many groups replant organisms that perished in the fire. Humans also have reservations for endangered animals and other threatened species living in the desert.
Prickly pear cactus
This cactus provides food for some species of animal. Without this plant some organisms would parish.
Hawk
The hawk is very crucial organism in the desert biome. It regulates the population of other animals and makes sure there is no over population.
Gila wood pecker
The Gila wood pecker is also a very important bird that is needed in the desert biome. This bird helps spread seeds when it eats fruit from cactus. With the spreading of the seeds, the population of the cactus will stay constant.