The Food Web of Organisms Found in a Landfill Site
- A landfill offers an unusual ecosystem that is home to a complicated food web.birds at a landfill site in Extremadura/Spain image by Lars Lachmann from Fotolia.com
A food web is similar to a food chain in that it documents the feeding patterns of organisms living in an ecosystem. However, a food chain gives a limited view on what eats what. A food web is a more comprehensive overview of how an ecosystem operates. A landfill offers an unusual environment that is home to many organisms. - Insects and spiders are typically at the base of the food web for landfills. All landfills contain a large number of insects and spiders due to the content of the area. Insects eat the materials placed inside the landfill. Spiders eat animals or insects present around the landfill. Common insects found in landfills include ants, beetles and roaches. Worms also live in landfills eating trash and other materials. Some worms eat insects as well.
- Typically, reptiles living in landfills include snakes. In some landfills, tortoises or frogs may also be present. Reptiles usually eat the insects present in the landfills. Some reptiles may also eat trash items in the landfill. Reptiles also eat small rodents such as mice or voles. When reptiles die, they are eaten by the insects living in the landfill.
- Birds often eat trash, insects and reptiles living in a landfill. Birds are foragers who will eat nearly anything available. Birds love landfills because there is a wide variety of foods available. Even closed landfills provide an excellent feeding ground for birds because they are insect and worm-rich areas.
- Rodents also frequent landfills. There are typically more small rodents living in a landfill than large rodents. Field mice, rats, gophers, moles and voles are all frequent dwellers inside landfills. Active landfills have fewer rodents than inactive landfills because of the activity of humans. Abandoned landfills have a high small rodent population. Rodents typically eat trash, insects, dead birds and reptiles.
- Occasionally a landfill will become home to larger animals such as cats, wild dogs and other animals like raccoons, possums, coyotes and even bears in some regions. These animals typically only eat smaller rodents. These animals rarely eat insects or trash, although raccoons and possums have a higher likelihood of eating trash. When the large animals die, they are eaten by insects and birds.
