LAND ECOLOGY OF ARIDA
THE DESERT
Species Testing Grounds
| The Omega and Beta Deserts loom large
in the landscape of Arida. These expansive hot and dry lands
cover nearly 30 percent of the planets surface. Desert biomes
can be defined as areas in which the rate of evaporation exceeds the
amount of rainfall. Deserts have very little rainfall, high
air pressure, nutrient poor soils, and often experience high
winds. The chief limiting factors in the desert are water and
temperature. It is very dry and hot in the desert biome and
plants, animals, and other organisms must contend with these factors
if they are to survive in this environment.
The deserts of Arida receive less than 5 inches of rain each year, and average temperature hovers around the 90 degree Celsius mark. Temperatures often soar over the 100 degrees Celsius. The Omega and Beta Deserts are a formidable environment for living organisms to survive. But life does exist in the desert, and many forms of life have flourished in the deserts of the planet Arida. |
Community Members
| The Aridan deserts host a limited range
of plant and animal species, each filing a particular niche in the
demanding desert environments. A handful of dominant organisms
fill essential roles in the desert
environment. Primary Producers, Primary Consumers, and Secondary Consumers are
found in the deserts. Primary Producers, normally plant
species, harness the energy of the star
Venda and produce their own food. The plants are eaten by primary consumers, who in turn are eaten by
secondary
consumers. The desert biome of Arida is unique with several
species filling dual roles, acting as omnivores, making
categorization a more complex process. The Omega and Beta Deserts of the planet Arida
are also the realm of the dangerous diner the Desert Dino. The
Desert Dino fills the role of Tertiary or Top Consumer.
|
|
Primary Producers |
Primary Consumers |
Secondary Consumers |
Top Consumer |
|
Asper-Coco |
Burrow Bugs | Deterra |
Dinosaurus aridis |
|
Drydella |
Draginsectus |
Desert Rat | |
| Aridus minimus | Desert Rat |
Aridus minimus |
| PRIMARY
PRODUCERS
The Primary Producers in the desert environment are advanced life forms well adapted to the particular rigors of desert life. As in any ecosystem or biome, plants form the base of the energy pyramid as they harness the energy of the planets star, Venda. The deserts are flooded with an abundance of light, yet water is scarce. Several plant species have been successful in this harsh environment. Asper- Coco, a distant descendant of the highly successful and ancient Asperdoma plant form, is found in the desert biome of the planet. Asper-Coco is the largest of the few trees able to survive in the desert. It provides shade and relief from Venda's intense rays for desert dwelling animals. Deterras can often be found in the shadows of the Asper-Coco tree.The Drydella is a plant common to the deserts of Arida. The short fleshy plant resembles the cactus plants of Earth. The Drydella flowers provide sustenance for many insect and other small animal species that reside in the desert. Another prominent desert plant which resembles the cacti of Earth is Aridus minimus, commonly referred to as the Little Dry Man. Little Dry Man is even more diminutive than Drydella. Aridus minimus plants spread across the open desert in distinctive patches as they propagate. The Dry Little Man can be called a primary producer but in reality is more of a secondary consumer. Like other primary producers, the Dry Little Man produces its own food through the process of photosynthesis, yet it also consumes insects and other small critters it catches in its false flower. The Little Dry Man protects itself well against foraging animals, and none have successfully utilized its matter as food with any regularity. But the Little Dry Man is successful at catching Burrow Bugs and an occasional Draginsectus, hence its classification as a secondary consumer may in fact be more apt! PRIMARY CONSUMERS Desert Rats, and a group of insect-like organisms collectively referred to as Burrow Bugs, are the chief primary consumers in the deserts of Arida. The Draginsectus animal, which enjoys a special symbiotic relationship with the Asper-Coco can be viewed to be a primary consumer species. Desert Rats are an omnivorous creature, morphologically similar to the rodents of Earth. They feed upon the fruits and flesh of desert plants, primarily the commonly occurring Drydella plants. Desert Rats also feast upon the coconut like fruit of the Asper-Coco trees. Another significant part of the Desert Rat diet are Burrow Bugs (who feed upon plant matter as well). Desert Rats are able to sniff out their burrows and consume Burrow Bugs in large quantities. The Burrow Bugs themselves are dedicated primary consumers, their source of food is the seeds, fruit, and other tissue of desert dwelling plants. A mainstay of their diet is the fruit and seeds of the Drydella plant, and they can be found hidden within the The Draginsectus feeds upon plant tissue, normally fruits and seeds. Its chief plant food is the Drydella. The Draginsectus also feeds upon the Burrow Bug and other insects it finds within the confines of the Asper-Coco tree. Since the Dragoninsectus feeds upon insects as well as plant tissue, it can be seen to be a secondary consumer also. SECONDARY CONSUMERS The slow moving Deterra, munches upon all the Burrow Bugs it can locate with its specialized snout. It stands clear as the major secondary consumer in the desert environment. Desert Rats and the carnivorous Little Dry Man plant can be characterized as secondary consumers as well, since they eat animals that have fed upon plants. TOP CONSUMER The top, or tertiary level, consumer in the Omega and Beta Deserts is the Desert Dino, Dinosaurus aridis. The Desert Dino is strictly a meat eater. It feast upon the flesh of virtually any small animal it can get it clutches on. This cold blooded killer can capture Desert Rats, and will readily gobble up any Burrow Bugs it can find. It also hunts the larger, but decidedly slower, Deterra. The Deterra is a favorite target of the Deterra when it hunts in pairs or larger groups. Desert Dinos are unquestionably the top consumer of the Aridan deserts. Nothing eats the Desert Dino. |
THE DESERT BIOME
|
Desert Food Web
Energy Distribution
