Importance of Animals
 Animals are a
significant part of the Floyds Fork ecosystem. All the animals are connected in one
way or another, mainly through food chains. An example of a food chain in Floyds
Fork is as follows: There are small insects living in the streambanks of Floyds Fork.
The small fish in the creek eat these insects, and some species of large fish eat
the smaller fish. The fish are in turn caught by birds such as the great blue heron
and eaten. Food chains are a very vital aspect to this ecosystem. The
ecosystem is very stable on its own. Independent of outsiders, it is
sustained in a natural balance. Humans are outsiders who pose a danger to the
ecosystem if they don't treat it properly. Tiny differences in what we do in our
back yards can effect the Floyds Fork ecosystem. When we use insecticides on our
lawns the chemicals are absorbed by the ground. Water that flows in the ground
pulls the chemicals out of the dirt and washes the chemicals into the stream. These
chemicals can be dangerous to the insects that live in the streambanks. If the
population of the insects decreases, there will be less food for the smaller fish.
That means the smaller fish die, and there will be less food for the larger fish, and in
turn the birds like the blue heron. And the food chain continues until it reaches
us, humans. We, being human, need to become conscious of these things
that can endanger our environment.
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importance of animals
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