rwbb_feeding

Here is a picture I found online of a Red-Winged Black Bird feeding on an insect. I did not see any of this first hand, but once it gets a little warmer for the bugs to come out, this trophic interaction should be occurring frequently.

 

From exploring my site, it would appear that most of its carbon resources are allochthonous. Dead leaves and other material blanket the benthic zone of the lake and no algae appear to present in large number yet. As it get warmer I would expect a greater influx of autochthonous material, but allochthonous will still be dominant. One invasive species that exists at the lake is phragmites. These plants remove cattails and other species from the ecosystem, which provide homes for birds and insects. The cattails also allow fish and other aquatic organisms to easily pass through them, while phragmites do not.

 

I believe that cattails are the most important species to my ecosystem. They provide nesting sites for birds who manage the insect population. They also are a food source to mammals, including muskrats. The portion of their body underwater allows for smaller fish to swim between them, offering protection from predators.

Done