Energy Flow Among Organisms of a Food Chain in the Desert
Corinne N Bryant
May 2, 2013
University of Phoenix
The lives of the organisms in the desert require a substantial amount of survival skills. The temperature in a desert biome is always very high and it does not rain very often so it is also extremely dry. Any organisms that live in the desert must be able to adapt to these conditions in order to live. For example, one organism that can be found in the desert is cacti. Cacti roots are closer to the surface than other plants so it is able to drink the rain water. They also have think skins which are a protection from the heat along with the fact that its stems grow upward instead of outward protecting it from the sun (Big Site of Amazing Facts, 2013). The cactus is also an expert at absorbing and storing water for long periods of time and its prickly needles protect it from animals stealing its water. Some other organisms that live in the desert are lizards, bobcats, coyotes, kangaroo rats, brittle bush, chainfruit cholla, the Joshua Tree, birds, and several insects which include (but are not limited to) beetles. Every ecosystem has biodiversity and its biodiversity is beneficial. The benefit of a desert’s biodiversity is that each organism can help other organisms survive or, at the least, maintain. For instance, lizards eat insects and insects eat plants. So the lizards eating the insects protect the plants from any damage the insects may cause to the plants. As shown in the diagram below, three categories of a desert ecosystem are producers, consumers, and decomposers. According to Schraer & Stoltze (1993) producers can be described as organisms that produce organic compounds from inorganic compounds (such as green plants), consumers are those who depend on plants for energy, and decomposers are those that break down the remains of dead animals and plants. In the desert, the flow of energy starts with the producers because they use the most energy from the sun, the consumers use more
May 2, 2013
University of Phoenix
The lives of the organisms in the desert require a substantial amount of survival skills. The temperature in a desert biome is always very high and it does not rain very often so it is also extremely dry. Any organisms that live in the desert must be able to adapt to these conditions in order to live. For example, one organism that can be found in the desert is cacti. Cacti roots are closer to the surface than other plants so it is able to drink the rain water. They also have think skins which are a protection from the heat along with the fact that its stems grow upward instead of outward protecting it from the sun (Big Site of Amazing Facts, 2013). The cactus is also an expert at absorbing and storing water for long periods of time and its prickly needles protect it from animals stealing its water. Some other organisms that live in the desert are lizards, bobcats, coyotes, kangaroo rats, brittle bush, chainfruit cholla, the Joshua Tree, birds, and several insects which include (but are not limited to) beetles. Every ecosystem has biodiversity and its biodiversity is beneficial. The benefit of a desert’s biodiversity is that each organism can help other organisms survive or, at the least, maintain. For instance, lizards eat insects and insects eat plants. So the lizards eating the insects protect the plants from any damage the insects may cause to the plants. As shown in the diagram below, three categories of a desert ecosystem are producers, consumers, and decomposers. According to Schraer & Stoltze (1993) producers can be described as organisms that produce organic compounds from inorganic compounds (such as green plants), consumers are those who depend on plants for energy, and decomposers are those that break down the remains of dead animals and plants. In the desert, the flow of energy starts with the producers because they use the most energy from the sun, the consumers use more
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