In the food web shown above, energy comes from the sun, which then transfers energy to the Star grass, Red Oat grass, and Umbrella Thorn Acacia tree. Primary consumers eat from these producers, collecting energy from their roots, leaves, or bark. Secondary consumers then prey and dine on the primary consumers, taking the animal's energy as well as the now meager amount of indirect energy of the original producer. This cycle continues through the Tertiary consumers and so on.
The predator to prey to producer ratio is a very delicate balance that can be easily tipped if influenced by any sort of natural or artificial disaster. If a catastrophe were to wipe out a single link on a food chain, the entire metaphorical structure would collapse. Say (going along with the food web above) that you had a population of mice, Mongoose, and Caracals. Things are going well until, all of a sudden, a massive wildfire spreads through the hot region, wiping out all the Mongoose. Suddenly, the Caracals have lost a vital food resource and mice no longer are as preyed on as they once were. The Caracal population plummets while the mice population drastically increases. The mice begin to infest every aspect of the region until they nearly choke out the rest of the species--draining food resources and limiting other animal's places of shelter--affecting several other food chains. The imbalance of a single food chain has started a domino reaction that goes on to "rattle" every other chain in a large portion of the food web in the Tropical grassland/savanna biome.
Because balance cannot be upheld forever, there are a handful of different ways that can generate a population's increase or decrease. Natural disasters occurring in this biome can limit or sometimes even completely cease population growth of a certain species in an area. These disasters include dust storms, wild fires, and droughts. Other limiting population growth factors can include a bad growing year for some of the primary producers(like the acacia tree or star grass), meaning that the populations dependent on those producers would not be able to prosper or grow larger, restricting the higher levels of the chain as well. As well as a smaller natural occurrence of disease that could spread through a population and drastically reduce their numbers.
As well as Natural disasters can reduce population numbers or disrupt the natural order of the food chain, invasive species can do the very same. Invasive species invade an area that they are not natively from and they either become a new predator of an animal, reducing the numbers, or become another competitor for the same food source as a native animal, sporadically even driving a native species to extinction. Sometimes invasive species are originally brought by humans to help reduce a separately troublesome population already living in a region. In the case of the overpopulating European bunnies, however, the invasive species had been brought into the tropical grassland/savanna region by the Europeans for the joy of the hunt in the mid 19th century.
The predator to prey to producer ratio is a very delicate balance that can be easily tipped if influenced by any sort of natural or artificial disaster. If a catastrophe were to wipe out a single link on a food chain, the entire metaphorical structure would collapse. Say (going along with the food web above) that you had a population of mice, Mongoose, and Caracals. Things are going well until, all of a sudden, a massive wildfire spreads through the hot region, wiping out all the Mongoose. Suddenly, the Caracals have lost a vital food resource and mice no longer are as preyed on as they once were. The Caracal population plummets while the mice population drastically increases. The mice begin to infest every aspect of the region until they nearly choke out the rest of the species--draining food resources and limiting other animal's places of shelter--affecting several other food chains. The imbalance of a single food chain has started a domino reaction that goes on to "rattle" every other chain in a large portion of the food web in the Tropical grassland/savanna biome.
Because balance cannot be upheld forever, there are a handful of different ways that can generate a population's increase or decrease. Natural disasters occurring in this biome can limit or sometimes even completely cease population growth of a certain species in an area. These disasters include dust storms, wild fires, and droughts. Other limiting population growth factors can include a bad growing year for some of the primary producers(like the acacia tree or star grass), meaning that the populations dependent on those producers would not be able to prosper or grow larger, restricting the higher levels of the chain as well. As well as a smaller natural occurrence of disease that could spread through a population and drastically reduce their numbers.
As well as Natural disasters can reduce population numbers or disrupt the natural order of the food chain, invasive species can do the very same. Invasive species invade an area that they are not natively from and they either become a new predator of an animal, reducing the numbers, or become another competitor for the same food source as a native animal, sporadically even driving a native species to extinction. Sometimes invasive species are originally brought by humans to help reduce a separately troublesome population already living in a region. In the case of the overpopulating European bunnies, however, the invasive species had been brought into the tropical grassland/savanna region by the Europeans for the joy of the hunt in the mid 19th century.
The first population of bunnies were released at the southern tip of Australia with a total number of 24. But this fluffy fiend, like all of it's predecessors, reproduced like CRAZY. And within 60 years, the first population brought over had both spread across the continent and swelled to a size of 10 billion!
Due to their size, native species like the Bilby and Burring Bettwong were affected by being pushed out of their burrows and involuntarily obtaining a large competitor for their food source. Not only were native species affected, but the environment as well. Bunnies have taken over and eradicated large amounts of native flora.
In recent years, many different methods have been used to help control these populations of rabbits. These tactics included poison, fumigation, and the spreading of deadly viruses to these invasive scoundrels.
Due to their size, native species like the Bilby and Burring Bettwong were affected by being pushed out of their burrows and involuntarily obtaining a large competitor for their food source. Not only were native species affected, but the environment as well. Bunnies have taken over and eradicated large amounts of native flora.
In recent years, many different methods have been used to help control these populations of rabbits. These tactics included poison, fumigation, and the spreading of deadly viruses to these invasive scoundrels.