Essay Sample on the Effects of the Lack of Grass on Ecosystems

Effects of removing a key producer

When the key producer disappeared, then this means that they will be no longer existing in my ecosystem. According to my ecosystem, a key producer is a grass ( plants) indicating that grasshopper, mouse, and rabbit (herbivorous) whose dependency ratio are on grass will reduce in number due to lack of food that they will feed on. Herbivorous (grasshopper and mouse only) will be consumed by the primary predators (lizard and snake) hence this will also reduce the number of herbivorous in the ecosystem. The primary predator will also decrease in number this is because a decrease in herbivorous affects the primary predator due to lack of food for consumption. Secondary consumer (hawk) at first stage will increase in number due to the presence of rabbit, lizard and, snake this is because of availability of food for the hawk. In the long run, there will be no secondary predator, primary predators and herbivorous this is because the primary producer (grass) disappeared hence the ecosystem will remain with nothing.

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Effects to the abiotic components that result from the disruption of my ecosystem

Abiotic factors are the non-living organisms that live in an ecosystem that may affect the ecosystem both positively and negatively in an environment. By removing of grass from my ecosystem will affects the water chemistry, this can happen when the water sources such as rivers and streams carryout the nutrient from the soil to the water sources through leaching, this means that water will carry away the soluble nutrients (Low, 2016). Plant (grass) prevents the water from carrying away the nutrient hence minus grass in the ecosystems will lead to high nitrate level and oxygen level dissolution within the water sources. The temperature within the water sources may increase due to lack of cover from direct sunlight whereby this will negatively affect the ecosystem.

The lack of grass or producers (plants) in my ecosystem will affect the atmosphere; this will happen as a result of lack of photosynthesis and carbon dioxide that will not exist in the atmosphere. The soil that allows the grass or producer (plant) to grow helps by providing nutrients for grass in an ecosystem will be affected by the direct sunlight. This explosion of soil to the direct sunlight will increase the temperature of the soil and, also oxidize more carbon to carbon dioxide in the soil (Echolls, 2017). In the absence of grass (plant) in the soil will tend to increase soil erosion that always tends to be higher in drier areas.

How to repair the damage or change to my ecosystem

To maintain soil cover and prevent soil erosion within my ecosystem, planting, and harvesting of green cane (trash blanketing), this will protect the soil cover from erosion hence helps the soil to maintain its nutrients that will allow more growth of grass ( plant). Trash blanketing will also help in keeping the soil moisture, which will help in keeping right temperature and atmosphere for grass survival (Low, 2016). Leaching of nutrients in the soil to water sources can inhibit by avoiding tilling of land in small spaces; this will keep the soil intact hence it helps in preventing of the soil life that may be washed by rainwater or blow away by the wind (Echolls, 2017). By doing these, it will become the producer (grass) to grow and maintain the status of the soil.

References

Low, N. (2016, November 18). The urchin's tale, part 1. The Dish on Science. Retrieved from: http://thedishonscience.stanford.edu/posts/urchins-tale-1/

Echolls, T. (2017, April 25). Soil erosion due to rainforest deforestation. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/soil-erosion-due-rainforest-deforestation-23042.html