PRODUCERS AND COSUMERS

PRODUCERS TAKE SIMPLE SUBSTANCES FROM THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND MAKE COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES USING SOLAR ENERGY. ALL OTHER ORGANISMS MOLECULES USING SOLAR ENERGY. ALL OTHER ORGANISMS IN THIS WORLD ARE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, DEPENDENTON THE PRODUCERS FOR THEIR FOOD.

THE WORLD DEPENDS ON FOOD MADE BY THE PRODUCERS AND, FORTUNATELY FOR US, PRODUCERS COME IN ALL TYPES AND SIZES, FROM MICROSCOPIC SINGLE-CELL ALGAE, SMALL PLANTS TO GIANT TREES.

CONSUMERS ARE ORGANISMS THAT FEED ON PRODUCERS OR OTHER ORGANISMS. THEY ARE CLASSIFIEDS AS FLLOWS :

• PRIMARY CONSUMERS OR HERBIVORES THAT FEED DIRECTLY ON PRODUCERS 
• SECONDARY CONSUMERS OR CARNIVORES THAT FEED ON OTHER CONSUMERS
• TERTIARY CONSUMERS THAT EAT OTHER CARNIVORES.

FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS

THE CONCEPT OF A FOOD CHAIN  SHOULD  BE INTUITIVELY CLEAR. THE FROG EATS THE INSECT, THE SNAKE SWALLOWS THE FROG EATS THE INSECT, THE SNAKE SWALLOWS THE FROG, AND THE SWOOPING HAWK FINISHES OFF THE  SNAKE. WE THUS HAVE A FOOD CHAIN. IT IS JUST A SEQUENCE OF ORGANISMS, IN WHICH EACH IS THE FOOD FOR THE NEXT. ALL ORGANISMS, DEAD OR ALIVE, ARE POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FOOD FOR OTHER ORGANISMS.

FOOD CHAINS OVERLAP, SINCE MOST ORGANISMS HAVE MORE THAN ONE ITEM ON THEIR MENU. AGAIN, AN ORGANISM COULD BE FOUND ON THE MENUS OF MANY OTHER ORGANISMS. THUS, WE HAVE A COMPLEX NETWORK OF INTERCONNECTED FOOD CHAINS  CALLED A FOOD WEB.

IF EVERY ORGANISMS MUST EAT ANOTHER ORGANISM FOR SURVIVAL, WHERE DOES THE FOOD CHAINS START? OBVIOUSLY THERE MUST BE AT LEAST ONE SELF-FEEDING ORGANISM THAT PRODUCES FOOD AND EATS IT TOO! SUCH PRODUCERS ARE IN FACT ALL AROUND US-THE GREEN PLANTS.

THE MAJOR THREATS TO BIRDS

• HABITAT LOSS AND FRAGMENTATION 
• INTRODUCTION OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES : BIRD-EATING SNAKES, RATS, CATS, MONGOOSE, ETC.; INSECTS AND PATHOGENS
• HUNTING AND CAPTURE
• COLLECTION FOR PET TRADE
• LONGLINE FISHING : THOUSANDS OF SEA BIRDS ARE CAUGHT IN HOOKS AND DROWN.
• OIL SPILLS
• PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES
• SKYSCRAPERS,TOWERS, AND POWER LINES THAT KILL MILLIONS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS

BIRD LOVERS AND BIRDWATCHERS ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE TRYING TO SAVE THE WINGED WONDERS. THE FUTURE, HOWEVER, LOOKS BLEAK FOR BIRDS EVERYWHERE.