Essay on Food Web Diagram

One of those relationships, food webs, has an important function of transferring energy and keeping the biological lifecycle going by the various lifeforms feeding off one another. The concept of energy transfer that goes on in food chains in ecosystems keeps organisms living by the energy the body needs being provided when they eat other organisms, as supported by the studies of “food chains, food webs, and trophic levels.” It is important that we continue to observe ecosystems like the Everglades Hardwood Hammock in order to help preserve them. (Arms,

When Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma was published, many readers began questioning him for advice on what they should eat in order to stay healthy. In his more recent book, In Defense of Food, he responds with three rules, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants"(Pollan 1). This seven word response seems too simple for a relatively complicated question, but as he further elaborates these rules into specific guidelines, this summary turns out to be surprisingly complete. Using inductive and deductive reasoning, he debunks the ideas behind nutritionism and food science, and proves that the western diet is the cause for food related diseases. Inductive reasoning is when a

The documentary Food Inc. is a great example of commercial farming. The purpose of commercial farming is to mass produce food and animals, to feed the community. The concept of commercial farming could also go along food security. The community needs to make sure that there is enough food to feed the growing population at all times. The problem right now isn’t that there isn’t enough food, but rather that there is too much food. The Tyson company produces all kinds of meat to feed people around the country, and when doing so they tend to overproduce. With this overproduction, we are left with expired animals that cannot be produced into food for consumption, and in turn, provide extra parts that aren’t useful or helpful.

The first example of human manipulation of changes within the biosphere is through expansion. The rapid growth of the population has led to expansion in development; the need for more space is causing strain on other living organisms such as plants and animals. Human procurement of forest, grass, and wetlands has weighed on the animal population heavily. As a result of this domination, animals have lost areas they use to thrive in, causing migration and in more serious cases extinction. Animals are a prevalent source of protein for humans, and when a species is threatened by extinction, it not only disrupts the balance of the ecosystem, but it also disrupts the food chain. The more resources that are required to sustain human life, the bigger the need to migrate to surrounding areas in a short period of time (Haines).

Desertification typically occurs as a result of poor management by human populations. In earlier times of history, desertification was not seen as a widespread issue, because most humans led hunter-gatherer lifestyles that caused them to frequently relocate. Thus, the land was not populated for enough time for it to become overgrazed by livestock or depleted of nutrients by over-farming and deforestation. However, in more recent history, desertification has become much more significant as agriculture-based societies became more widespread and the need to produce as much as many goods as possible overrode the need to conserve Earth’s

All across america, cows are confined to crowded, almost prison-like cells, with little to no regard to their health. They are forced to eat food that includes such ingredients like manure, cement, or even cow brains. This is one side of farming, but there is another. This farming has cows and other animals living how they would in nature, across rolling hills and bright green grasses. This is the essence of Local Sustainable farming. As defined in Michael Pollan’s award-winning commentary about the food we eat, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, the Local Sustainable Food Chain, one of four possible food chains, is characterized by not using pesticides, treating animals humanely, and sustainably creating healthier organic food. Out of Michael Pollan’s food chains, the Local Sustainable Food Chain is the best for America as it is much less harmful to the environment and lets animals live in their natural states.

Symbiotic Mutualisms: Plant provide energy and protection to the fungus while the fungus helps the plant absorb nutrients from the soil.

The position is called a trophic level. For example, fox eats birds, so if the food chain contained a fox and a bird then the fox would be at a higher trophic level then the bird.

-Reintroduction of a top predator lowered the number of over grazing herbivores, leaving a more stable amount of food for many species of herbivores.

The apex predator in this food pyramid is the human being. The reason this is chosen is that men impact their ecosystems more than any other creature. Human beings eat other animals, but they also impact ecosystems by destroying natural habitats either for the purpose of construction or through introduction of non-native organisms which upsets the ecosystem. As biomass decreases, the amount of energy that is stored within that organism increases. Consequently, the higher you go up the food pyramid the more energy is lost. This is because much of the energy gained through consumption is spent by catching and eating the lower organism. Less total energy is gained the higher up the pyramid the consumer is.

The grasslands along the Front Range are primarily inhabited by native grasses including, needle and thread grass (Stipa comata) and blue gramma grass (Bouteloua gracilis), as part of the primary producers of the ecosystem. In areas where prairie dogs are present, native grass populations decline at a rather quick rate and are often low in richness, evenness, and diversity (Beals et al. 2014). We will look at how this affects the rest of the grassland ecosystem and changes it where trophic efficiency is concerned. Prairie dogs are useful for trophic efficiency because they help maintain the growth of primary producers in the grasslands.

Collecting data for the food-shed map was an interesting experience because I noticed several patterns in my map. These patterns also helped me realize a few things about the production of my food. I realized that the zip code on the box was not usually an accurate representation of where my food came from the distance it traveled.

Furthermore, Robin and Sebastian specify the current problem on public land is the over-rest of grass which is arguable just as bad for the grassland area and its biodiversity as overgrazing (Rediscover The

Off-road riding (4x4 and dirt bikes) can damage desert plants and pollute the soil, as well as disrupting the activities of wildlife. Diverting water supplies, which are already likely scarce, can prevent infrequent rainfall from reaching the native plants. Killing rodents or predators that invade farms impacts the food chain that exists in the desert. Although it may not appear so, most deserts support fragile ecosystems that are easily damaged by roads, mineral refuse, or oil contamination that can come from industries or mines.

The way we eat food has changed drastically in the past few decades. When I think of the process of how our food is made and produced, I typically think of a farm with animals laying around, eating grass, content with everything. Also, I picture ripe red tomatoes, apples, and sweet smelling fruit being pick right when it is ripened so it can get to our grocery stores. This is typically how most people picture our food coming from a farm. It is how they want us to picture it, because it is a happy image: but, it is far from the reality of how things are.