The Everglades: A Food Web Diagram
The Everglades: A Food Web Diagram
Name
BIO/101
Date
Dr. Doreen Sterling
The Everglades: A Food Web Diagram
The Everglades is a two million acre wetland ecosystem. The Everglades reaches from central Florida, near Orlando, all the way south to Florida Bay (National Wildlife Federation, 1996-2013). During the wet season, Lake Okeechobee overflows, releasing water into a slow moving, shallow river. The river is mostly saw-grass marsh. The Everglades is an ecosystem that hosts a large diversity of habitats connected by wetlands and water bodies. Human actions have been altering the Everglades landscape through water diversions and flood control projects, and agricultural and urban development. How this affects the evolution of its wild life habitats and their survival techniques through adaptation and natural selection will be important.
Food Chain Consumers
The Everglades is an ecosystem abundant with consumers: organisms that acquire nourishment via the consumption of other living organisms (Abeton, n.d.). Primary consumers that are herbivores, like the marsh rabbit, eat producers available in the Everglades habitat (Abeton, n.d.). Primary consumers that are carnivores include the brown pelican, Florida panther, and crocodile. There are also many tertiary consumers in the Everglades ecosystem like the bald eagle and the Florida black bear. This type of consumer exists mainly on secondary consumers (Abeton, n.d.)
Many food chains are present in the ecosystem of the Everglades. Omnivores, like the Florida black bear, eat saw palmetto, acorns, berries, fish, and honey. Black bears adapt to the ecosystem by using a variety of plants and animals to obtain their sustenance and protein. Crocodiles are at the top of the food chain in the Everglades. According to "American Crocodile: Species Profile" (n.d..), "A crocodile will eat almost anything that moves. Hatchlings and young crocodiles eat small fish, snails, crustaceans, and insects.
Name
BIO/101
Date
Dr. Doreen Sterling
The Everglades: A Food Web Diagram
The Everglades is a two million acre wetland ecosystem. The Everglades reaches from central Florida, near Orlando, all the way south to Florida Bay (National Wildlife Federation, 1996-2013). During the wet season, Lake Okeechobee overflows, releasing water into a slow moving, shallow river. The river is mostly saw-grass marsh. The Everglades is an ecosystem that hosts a large diversity of habitats connected by wetlands and water bodies. Human actions have been altering the Everglades landscape through water diversions and flood control projects, and agricultural and urban development. How this affects the evolution of its wild life habitats and their survival techniques through adaptation and natural selection will be important.
Food Chain Consumers
The Everglades is an ecosystem abundant with consumers: organisms that acquire nourishment via the consumption of other living organisms (Abeton, n.d.). Primary consumers that are herbivores, like the marsh rabbit, eat producers available in the Everglades habitat (Abeton, n.d.). Primary consumers that are carnivores include the brown pelican, Florida panther, and crocodile. There are also many tertiary consumers in the Everglades ecosystem like the bald eagle and the Florida black bear. This type of consumer exists mainly on secondary consumers (Abeton, n.d.)
Many food chains are present in the ecosystem of the Everglades. Omnivores, like the Florida black bear, eat saw palmetto, acorns, berries, fish, and honey. Black bears adapt to the ecosystem by using a variety of plants and animals to obtain their sustenance and protein. Crocodiles are at the top of the food chain in the Everglades. According to "American Crocodile: Species Profile" (n.d..), "A crocodile will eat almost anything that moves. Hatchlings and young crocodiles eat small fish, snails, crustaceans, and insects.
References: Found in the Everglades. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.dep.state.fl.us/evergladesforever/restoration/species_list.htm Abeton, S. T. (n.d.). Supplemental Lecture (97/02/11 update). Retrieved from http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/~sabedon/biol1535.htm American Crocodile: Species Profile. (n.d..). Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/crocodile.htm Grigg, G., Gans, C., (1993) Morphology & Physiology of the Crocodylia. Retrieved from http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/eserv.php?pid=UQ:9776&dsID=croc.pdf Isbell, C., Pavia, A., (2009) Rabbits for Dummies, 2nd Edition. Retrieved from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/exploring-a-rabbits-unique-digestive-system.html National park service. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/airquality.htm National wildlife federation. (1996-2013). Retrieved from http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wild-places/everglades.aspx Solecki, W., Long, J., Harwell, C., Myers. V., Zubrow, E., Ankersen, T., Snyder, G. (1999). Human environment interactions in South Florida 's Everglades region: Systems of ecological degradation and restoration. Urban Ecosystems, 3(), 305-343. Wissman, M.A., (2006) Rabbit’s Anatomy. Retrieved from http://www.exoticpetvet.net/smanimal/rabanatomy.html