Food Web Diagram

Food Web Diagram

Web
  1

  Food Web Diagram

William DiCarlo

  SCI/230

  November 16, 2012

  Casey Bulaclac

  2

As Walt Whitman once said, “I bequeath myself to the dirt, to grow from the grass I love; If

you want me again, look for me under your boot-soles”. He was referring to the importance of

ecosystems and how they control and predict all living organisms on planet earth. One such

ecosystem is the Florida Everglades, which covers most of central and southern Florida. The Florida

Everglades is host to a diverse ecosystem of tropical and subtropical plants, reptiles, mammals, and

aquatic species as well(Everglades, 2012).

The various species that live within this ecosystem depend on each other for survival and

compromise the balance of the Everglades(The Concept of the Ecosystem, 2008). The Everglades

have a semitropical climate with mostly dry winters, moist and humid summers, and are vulnerable

to hurricanes during the early fall months(Everglades, 2012).

There is a wide variety of plants in this two million acre wetland, which includes saw grass,

cypress, bladder wort, and mangrove. Some other plants and tress serve as the primary energy source

for some consumers and provide them with a suitable shelter(The Concept of the Ecosystem, 2008).

Numerous species of mammals also make their home within the Everglades, including those

that are native, threatened, and almost endangered. Over 300 different bird species dwell within the

Everglades, such as the Blue Heron, and the Wood Stork(Different Types of Ecosystems, 2012).

Land mammals that roam the Everglades include such beasts as the panther, crocodile, and the

Burmese python. The Florida panther is considered to be the most endangered animal within the

Everglades with only about 75 still remaining today(Everglades, 2012).

The Florida Everglades is composed of three different organisms, a producer, a consumer, and

a...