Food Chain in the Mojave DesertBy:Jocelyn Vasquez

What is the Mojave Desert Food Chain?

A food chain is a linear system of links starting from a "producer", such as the Joshua tree and ending with the "predator" such as the coyote. They are usually short and are no longer than 3 to 4 links.They allow us to examine the basics of how energy passes through an ecosystem. This system also shows how the organisms are related by the food they eat. The food chains were first introduced by the African-Arab scientist and philosopher Al-Jahiz in the 9th century.

Food Chain for our Home

Where is it or where is it happening?

For this particular food chain I wanted to pick a place close to home, so I choose our desert. The Mojave desert is a rain shadow, mostly high desert area, that occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Utah and northwestern Arizona in the United States. It ranges in about 54,000 square feet and an elevation of 4921 feet.

How does it affect life on earth? Or how is life on Earth affected by it? It constitutes a complex network of organisms from plant to animals,

through which energy, derived from the sun, flows in the form of organic matter and dissipates in the form of organic waste heat. This has a source energy and is a system of interdependent species, a single isolated species would sooner or later consume the supply it needs to live, grow and reproduce, it would perish. With out the food chain working correctly all ecosystem, climate, natural sources would change.

Endangered Flora and Fauna Desert Tortoise and Joshua Tree

Is there some problem or issue with your topic?

Yes, since a a food chain is a sequence of plants, herbivores and carnivores, through which energy and materials move within an ecosystem. It consists of a producer, a consumer, and a predator, the predator being top of the food chain. Now man is the top predator, whether by intention or accident. The coyote is the natural predator, the wolf was a one time, but the wolf has been extirpated from the Mojave Desert by man, however man and his motor vehicle has taken place of the wolf as the primary killer of coyotes.

What are some solutions?

A few cities have started to help reduce the killing of the wildlife by building freeway crossings for them and have put up fences to complement underpasses and also by tagging some wildlife with GPS necklaces, to know where they are and to make sure they are not in dangerous situation. Although this is still a big issue going on right here where we live. I do believe that ignorance has a part in this issue because we don't all understand the food chain and how it will affect us all if it losses any of its organisms, and not appreciating what's around us. I would put up signs to inform the public that there is wildlife and it can cross even in very busy roads , such as freeways. I would encourage more cities to participate in what their neighbor cities are all ready doing to preserve our wildlife and keep the Mojave Desert food chain intact.

Man made solutions to help preserve and stop the killing of our wildlife: tunnels, bridges and fences.

Work Cited Feller, Walter. "Desert Food Chain". Digital-Desert.com.Web.

08 July 2015.URL

Http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/food/chains/

Sharp, Jay W.."Desert Food Chain- Desert Food Web". Desert USA.com.Desert

USA.1995-2015, 08 July 2015.URL

Http://desertusa.com/desert-f...ert-food-chain-intro.com

Dooley,Kevin."Mojave Desert" Mojavedesertvjjn.weebly.com.Web,

May 2014, 08 July 2015. URL

Http://mojavedesertvjjn.weebly.com

"Desert Habitats" Enchantedlearning.com.Web, 2000, 08 July 2015.URL

Http://enchantedlearning.com/...mes/desert/desert.shtml

Bremner,Jim F.."Coyotes" Desert USA.Digital West Media Inc.1996-2015,

08 July 2015.URL

Http://desertusa.com/who/du_who.html#anchor1141274