Biodiversity
Mountain Lion: Wild carnivorous cat that avoids people and hunts deer and small animals.
Mule Deer: They consume a wide variety of plants and can readily adapt to different landscape.
Long-tailed Weasel: Fearless and aggressive hunter which may attack animals larger than itself.
Rainbow Trout: Lives in freshwater and usually inhabits small to moderately large, well-oxygenated, shallow rivers.
Golden Eagle: They capture prey on or near the ground, locating it by soaring, flying low over the ground, or hunting from a perch.
Bull Thistle: Commonly found along trails, roads, and vacant fields in North America.
Aspen Daisy: Tends to bloom in mid summer and can reach up to 50cm in height.
Broom Snakeweed: Flowering plant in the daisy family.
Blue Mustard: Winter annual with a similar appearance to a dandelion.
Other Biomes:
- Rainforest: Large and sometimes nocturnal animals such as leopards and snakes. Large, tall trees with thick trunks and roots. Big leaves to get as much sunlight as possible.
- Chaparral: Animals such as rabbits, fox, and skunks. Medium sized plants with large, think leaves.
- Taiga: Animals such as bears, squirrels, and various birds. Large, tall trees that can adapt to harsh weather.
- Savanna: Varies in animal sizes. Examples include lion, elephants,and giraffes. Less trees and thicker grasses and shrubs that can survive hot, dry temperatures.
organism interactions and energy flow
Large animals such as cougars and foxes, hunt medium sized to small animals, as do large birds such as eagles and hawks. Smaller animals such as rabbits and squirrels eat plants, seeds, and fruits. Decomposers take in the energy from dead animals which gives nutrients to the soil in which plants grow.
Environmental changes
Invasive or exotic species introduced or removed:
Natural occurring energy transfer through predator and prey could unbalance. If another larger, faster animal such as a lion was introduced, there would be competition between the large mammals for a food source.
Species extinction:
If a species was to be eliminated from the food web, a food source for others could be taken away and more species could die. For example, if all rabbits were taken away from the ecosystem, larger animals such as eagles and cougars would lose their source of food and could potentially die out themselves or prey on other animals.
Natural occurring energy transfer through predator and prey could unbalance. If another larger, faster animal such as a lion was introduced, there would be competition between the large mammals for a food source.
Species extinction:
If a species was to be eliminated from the food web, a food source for others could be taken away and more species could die. For example, if all rabbits were taken away from the ecosystem, larger animals such as eagles and cougars would lose their source of food and could potentially die out themselves or prey on other animals.