Ecology & Natural History At Fontbonne Academy

nadaE Foodweb parts 1+2

PART I
Hawk – 4^th level

Owl – 4^th level

Coyote – 3^rd level

Rat -1^st/2^nd/3^rd level

Raccoon – 1^st level

Mouse – 2^nd level

Birds – 2^nd level

Ducks – 2^nd level

Prarie Dog – 2^nd level

Herron – 1^st/2^nd level

Grasshopper - 1^st level

Snail – 1^st level

Fish – 1^st level

Clams – 1^st level

Shrimp -1^st level

Grass/Algae – producer

 

Part II

                If the rat magically disappeared, lower level organisms would predictably thrive. Since the rat consumes grasshoppers, dead animals, and some vegetation, it is a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd level consumer. Scavengers like coyotes  and mice would have more food to themselves without the rats as competition. Higher level consumers, like the Hawks and Owls, would suffer greatly. Rats , smaller fowl and deceased organisms are their prime diet. In times of struggle, they would have to factor out rats, causing a small decline or plateau of their population numbers. Overall it is impossible to know for sure unless such an event occurs, but the basic prediction is that the lower level consumers and producers would thrive, whilist the higher level consumers would suffer.

CaraM Food Web Assignment

Organism	Role
Grass	Producer
Aquatic Plants	Producer
Insects -grasshopper -snail	First level consumers
Fish	Fist level consumers
Aquatic life -oysters -shrimp	First level consumers
Pelicans	Second level consumer
Ducks	Second level consumers
Mice	First, second level consumers
Chipmunks	First, second level consumers
Sparrows	First, second level consumers
Rat	First, second, third level consumers
Raccoon	First level consumers
Owl	Second, third level consumer
Coyote	Second, third level consumer
Hawk	Third, fourth level consumer

 

Part 1  

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2

Every organism in an ecosystem is very important to the survival of other organisms in the same habitat. For example if one was to take the rat out of its habitat, it would affect the other organisms. The grass the rat eats will increase as well as the insects that the rat eats. But unfortunately, for the rat’s competitors, their population will decrease because the rat’s predators will still need to eat. Therefore the rat’s predators’, such as the hawk and owl, population will remain the same. Therefore, as one can see the impact the rat (or any organism) has on its ecosystem.

 

BetsyO Food Web

Part I

Grass-Producer

Snail-Primary Consumer

Insects-Primary Consumer

Mole-Second level consumer

Swan-Second Level consumer

Rat-Third Level Consumer

Duck-Third Level Consumer

Raccoon-First Level

Bird-Second Level Consumer

Mouse-First Second and third Level consumer

Wolf-Third and Fourth Level consumer

Owl-Third and Fourth Level consumer

Eagle- Third and Fourth Level consumer

Part II

All of the organisms in an ecosystem play an important role in the lives of other organisms for example the rat. The rat eats insects along with small animals. Larger animals such as the owl, eagle and a wolf also eat the rat. Let’s say the entire rat ecosystem disappears, a disease kills them all off, then the entire ecosystem will be affected. The animals, the rat eats, as a source of energy will begin to multiply. The animals will be able to reproduce and have no fear of being eaten because their main predator is gone. However this could have a terrible outcome on other animals if their main predator is able to grow and reproduce more quickly, then the animals that are hunted will begin to die and soon that species will be cleared out. Every species needs to eat so when one species is extinct many more species will follow.

FeliciaF, Food Web

Part I – Classify each organism

1)   Under water plants – primary producers

2)   Above ground plants – primary producers

3)   Snail – first level consumers

4)   Fish – first and second level consumers

5)   Clam – first level consumers

6)   Shrimp – second level consumers

7)   Grasshopper – first level consumers

8)   Seagulls – second level consumers

9)   Duck -  first, second and third level consumers

10)   Birds – third level consumers

11)   Otter - second level consumers

12)   Mouse – second level consumers

13)   Raccoon – first level consumers

14)   Rat – first, second and fourth level consumers

15)   Owl – second and fourth level consumers

16)   Eagle – third and fourth level consumers

17)   Coyote – second and third level consumers

 

Part II – Paragraph

    Here one sees in the food web that the central organism is the rat. A rat plays many roles in the web, it is actually a first, second and fourth level consumer. Rats eat above ground plants, birds and grasshoppers or insects, a little bit of everything which makes them have such a strong presence. So what would happen if all rats disappeared? Some organisms would be effected positively and some negatively by this change in the ecosystem. For example if the eagle had no more rats to eat it would eat more of the coyote and mice, so their population would decrease. But on the flip side if there were no more rats than they would not be eating the birds, insects or above ground plants. These three would go through a population increase.Especially the birds because the rat went after specifically the birds baby eggs, so there is no one to harm the eggs, more eggs would live to the full hatching stage, so the bird population would increase significantly. Even if other organisms eat these, they are still down by an organism that would eat them.  We see if the rat disappeared from the ecosystem there are two effects that would take place depending on what you as an organism were to the rat, whether you depended on it for food source or feared it and ran from it for protection. No matter what the organism is each holds a significant role, so if one is taken out of the ecosystem the system will have serious repercussions.

marlok, foodweb, draft01

Part 1: (Each animal is labeled with the numbers on the diagram)

0.    Grass/Weeds: Producers

1.    Oysters: First Level Consumer

2.    Shrimp: Second Level Consumer

3.    Fish: First Level Consumer

4.    Snail: First Level Consumer

5.    Grasshopper: First, Second Level Consumer

6.    Pelican: Second Level Consumer

7.    Ducks: First, Second Level Consumer

8.    Chipmunk: Second, Third Level Consumer

9.    Mouse: First, Second Level Consumer

10. Sparrow Bird: First, Second Level Consumer

11. Raccoon: First Level Consumer

12. Rat: First, Second, Third Level Consumer

13. Coyote: Second, Third Level Consumer

14. Hawk: Second, Third, Fourth Level Consumer

15. Owl: Third Level Consumer

 

Part 2: Eliminate Rat

Personally, I hate rats, they a gross ugly little, well technically big animals. But in this ecosystem, if the rat is eliminated, many of the animals will be affected. The rat is food for the hawk, so if the rat were to disappear, the population of hawks may decrease because some of their food source is gone. But the hawk has other food sources, so it possibly may not decrease too much. The rat is also a first level consumer, so if it were to disappear there may be more grass that can be consumed by the other animals like the snails, fish, and oysters. With those animals having more food their population will increase, with a threat of overpopulating. The rat also eats the grasshopper, leaving grasshopper population increasing because their main predator is eliminated, leaving more food for the chipmunks, mouse, and coyotes, which could then leave to those animal’s populations to increase/ overpopulate. The rat also eats the sparrows and their eggs; the sparrow doesn’t have many other predators besides the hawk. With the rat eliminated the sparrow’s population would definitely increase a lot, and it could possibly overpopulate. Although I personally find rats to be gross animals, if they are eliminated from the ecosystem, many species are affected. Some animals will decrease because they now have no food, and others could increase because their predator is eliminated, and possibly overpopulate. Each species in an ecosystem, no matter how big or small have a very important role in their ecosystem, and if their requirements for that role are not fulfilled, the ecosystem will face great consequences.