Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Active Figure 5-12
Natural capital:
some components and interactions in
a
temperate tall-grass prairie ecosystem
in North America. When these organisms
die, decomposers break down their or-
ganic matter into minerals that plants
can use. Colored arrows indicate trans-
fers of matter and energy between pro-
ducers, primary consumers (herbivores),
secondary consumers (carnivores),
and decomposers. Organisms are not
drawn to scale.
See an animation based
on this figure and take a short quiz on
the concept.
Golden eagle
Golden eagle
Pronghorn antelope
Pronghorn antelope
Coyote
Coyote
Grasshopper
sparrow
Grasshopper
sparrow
Grasshopper
Grasshopper
Blue stem
grass
Blue stem
grass
Prairie
dog
Prairie
dog
Bacteria
Bacteria
Fungi
Fungi
Prairie
coneflower
Prairie
coneflower
Primary
to secondary
consumer
Producer
to primary
consumer
Secondary to
higher-level
consumer
All producers and
consumers to
decomposers
Figure 5-13
Natural capital degrada-
tion:
replacement of a biologically di-
verse temperate grassland with a mono-
culture crop in California. When humans
remove the tangled root network of nat-
ural grasses, the fertile topsoil becomes
subject to severe wind erosion unless it
is covered with some type of vegetation.
