The document summarizes the food chain in the Mojave Desert ecosystem. It begins with producers like the Joshua tree and describes a typical 3-4 link food chain ending with predators like coyotes. However, man has replaced the wolf as the top predator through vehicles, negatively impacting wildlife. Some cities are using bridges and fences to help prey safely cross roads and preserve the food chain. Public education on the importance of maintaining the food chain is needed to address this issue.

1. Food Chain in the
Mojave Desert
By:Jocelyn Vasquez

2. What is the Mojave Desert Food Chain?
 A food chain is a linear system of links starting from a "producer", such as the
Joshua tree and ending with the "predator" such as the coyote. They are
usually short and are no longer than 3 to 4 links.They allow us to examine the
basics of how energy passes through an ecosystem. This system also shows
how the organisms are related by the food they eat. The food chains were
first introduced by the African-Arab scientist and philosopher Al-Jahiz in the
9th century.

3. Food Chain for our Home

4. Where is it or where is it happening?
 For this particular food chain I wanted to pick a place close to home, so I
choose our desert. The Mojave desert is a rain shadow, mostly high desert
area, that occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and
smaller parts of central California, southern Utah and northwestern Arizona in
the United States. It ranges in about 54,000 square feet and an elevation of
4921 feet.

6. How does it affect life on earth?
Or how is life on Earth affected by it?
 It constitutes a complex network of organisms from plant to animals, through
which energy, derived from the sun, flows in the form of organic matter and
dissipates in the form of organic waste heat. This has a source energy and is a
system of interdependent species, a single isolated species would sooner or
later consume the supply it needs to live, grow and reproduce, it would
perish. With out the food chain working correctly all ecosystem, climate,
natural sources would change.

7. Endangered Flora and Fauna
Desert Tortoise and Joshua Tree

8. Is there some problem or issue with your
topic?
 Yes, since a a food chain is a sequence of plants, herbivores and carnivores,
through which energy and materials move within an ecosystem. It consists of
a producer, a consumer, and a predator, the predator being top of the food
chain. Now man is the top predator, whether by intention or accident. The
coyote is the natural predator, the wolf was a one time, but the wolf has
been extirpated from the Mojave Desert by man, however man and his motor
vehicle has taken place of the wolf as the primary killer of coyotes.

10. What are some solutions?
 A few cities have started to help reduce the killing of the wildlife by building
freeway crossings for them and have put up fences to complement
underpasses and also by tagging some wildlife with GPS necklaces, to know
where they are and to make sure they are not in dangerous situation.
Although this is still a big issue going on right here where we live. I do believe
that ignorance has a part in this issue because we don't all understand the
food chain and how it will affect us all if it losses any of its organisms, and
not appreciating what's around us. I would put up signs to inform the public
that there is wildlife and it can cross even in very busy roads , such as
freeways. I would encourage more cities to participate in what their neighbor
cities are all ready doing to preserve our wildlife and keep the Mojave Desert
food chain intact.

11. Man made solutions to help preserve and
stop the killing of our wildlife:
tunnels, bridges and fences.

12. Work Cited
Feller, Walter. "Desert Food Chain". Digital-Desert.com.Web.
 08 July 2015.URL
 Http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/food/chains/
 Sharp, Jay W.."Desert Food Chain- Desert Food Web". Desert USA.com.Desert
 USA.1995-2015, 08 July 2015.URL
 Http://desertusa.com/desert-f...ert-food-chain-intro.com
 Dooley,Kevin."Mojave Desert" Mojavedesertvjjn.weebly.com.Web,
 May 2014, 08 July 2015. URL
 Http://mojavedesertvjjn.weebly.com
 "Desert Habitats" Enchantedlearning.com.Web, 2000, 08 July 2015.URL
 Http://enchantedlearning.com/...mes/desert/desert.shtml
 Bremner,Jim F.."Coyotes" Desert USA.Digital West Media Inc.1996-2015,
 08 July 2015.URL
 Http://desertusa.com/who/du_who.html#anchor1141274