Trophic interaction: Flies feeding on rodent carcass

Flies (scavengers, third trophic level) feeding on rodent carcass (herbivore, second trophic level). I think maple trees are the most influential species in my location. Not only are they very abundant, but they also provide refuges and nesting sites for the various bird species and squirrels in the site. Their seeds can also provide a food source for the squirrels that live in the site. If the maple trees were removed, the other tree species in the site might replace it, so the birds and squirrels would still have places in which to take refuge and to build nests, although they might be less preferred. However, it is more likely that smaller trees less capable of supporting bird and squirrel nesting sites will grow faster than the larger trees in order to capitalize on the newly freed light source. They would take up the space formerly utilized by the maple, resulting in lower levels of available nesting sites for animals, and if they did not produce edible seeds, there would also be a decrease in available food for the birds and squirrels at the site. If maple trees were replaced with an invasive species that did not provide food or nesting sites for either bird or squirrels, there would be a decrease in the populations of birds and squirrels in the region, as they would become increasingly limited by food sources and nesting space. If, however, the invasive species happened to provide both food and nesting spaces, there would be a temporary increase in the bird and squirrel populations, followed by a decrease as interspecific competition increased due to an increasing homogeneity of habitats and a lower number of available niches.

 

Three of my organisms are:

Red squirrel: ultimately limited by predation

Ferns: ultimately limited by Space

Maple tree: ultimately limited by space.

 

Done