The Sun

1. The Sun • Energy source • Plants use energy from the Sun to make food

2. Air • Matter • Plants use carbon dioxide from air to make sugar • Animals and plants use oxygen from air to release energy from food • Soil bacteria take nitrogen out of the air and put it into the soil

3. Water • Matter • All living things contain water • Plants use water to make food

4. Creosote Bush • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Pollinated by bees and butterflies. Provides nectar for pollination • Shelter for grasshoppers

5. Soil • Matter and Dead remains of living things • Source of nitrogen, phosphorous, and minerals for plants • Holds water that is used by plants

6. Soil bacteria • Decomposer • Food- All types of dead remains of living things • Other relationships • Take nitrogen from the air and make it useable for plants • Recycles matter from living things back to the environment

7. Coyote • Mammal • Food- jackrabbit, roadrunner, ground squirrel, kangaroo rat, pocket mouse, fan palm fruit. • Other relationships- • Spreads seeds of fan palm in its scat

8. Jackrabbit • Mammal • Food- Cholla cactus, grasses

9. Indigo Bush • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Pollinated by hummingbirds and bees

10. Anna’s Hummingbird • Bird • Food- black flies, canterbury bells, indigo bush • Pollinates canterbury bells, indigo bush

11. Cholla Cactus • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Provides shelter for cactus wren • Pollinated by bees, butterflies, wasps, gives nectar for pollination • Reproduces by budding when joints stick to mammals

12. Cactus Wren • Bird • Food- ants, blister beetles, wasps, flies, grasshoppers, yucca moth, butterflies, and bees • Other relationships- • Builds nests in cholla cactus

13. Solitary Bee • Insect • Food- Nectar and pollen from creosote bush, cat’s claw, brittlebush, popcorn flower

14. Canterbury Bells • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships • Pollinated by hummingbirds • Seeds spread by ants and by sticking to mammals fur

15. Whiptail lizard • Reptile • Food- Grasshoppers, butterflies, yucca moth, parasitic wasp, solitary bee

16. Phainlopepla • Bird • Food- grasshoppers, butterflies, yucca moth, parasitic wasp, black flies, mistletoe berries • Other relationships- • Spreads mistletoe seeds in its droppings

17. Mistletoe • Parasitic plant • Food- Steals sugar from Cat’s claw and creosote • Other relationships- • The phainopepla eats its berries and deposits the seeds on other plants in its droppings. The mistletoe’s roots grow into another plant. • Gets water from host plants

18. Cat’s Claw • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships • Pollinated by bees, butterflies, and wasps. Offers nectar to insects for pollination

19. Brittlebush • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Pollinated by bees, butterflies, and wasps. Gives nectar for pollination

20. Mojave Yucca • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Only pollinated by the yucca moth, gives nectar to moths for pollination

21. Roadrunner • Bird • Food- Blister beetles, lizards, snakes, kangaroo rat, pocket mouse, grasshoppers

22. Ants • Insects/ Scavengers • Food- dead things • Other relationships- • Spread seeds

23. Grasses • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Seeds carried by mammals on their fur, and by ants. • Used by birds to make nests

24. Horned lizard • Reptile • Food- Ants

25. Yucca moth • Insect • Food- Mojave Yucca nectar • Other relationships- • The yucca moth is the only animal that can pollinate a yucca

26. Butterfly • Insect • Food- Nectar from creosote, brittle bush, evening primrose, cat’s claw • Other relationships- • Pollinator for creosote, brittle bush, evening primrose, cat’s claw

27. Mountain lion • Mammal • Food- Mule deer

28. Mule deer • Mammals • Food- grass

29. Pocket Mouse • Mammal • Food- seeds of creosote, canterbury bells, brittlebush, yucca, indigobush, blister beetles, grasshoppers, fan palm fruit • Other relationships- • Helps spread seeds

30. Kangaroo rat • Mammal • Food- seeds of creosote, canterbury bells, brittlebush, yucca, indigobush • Other relationships- • Helps spread seeds

31. Ground Squirrel • Mammal • Food- seeds of creosote, canterbury bells, brittlebush, yucca, indigobush, blister beetles, grasshoppers, fan palm fruit • Other relationships- • Helps spread seeds

32. Evening primrose • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Pollinated by bees, butterflies, and wasps • Gives nectar for pollination

33. Red Tailed Hawk • Bird • Food- Snakes, pocket mouse, ground squirrel, jackrabbit, kangaroo rat

34. Rattlesnake • Reptile • Food- pocket mouse, ground squirrel, kangaroo rat, lizards, jackrabbit

35. Grasshopper • Insect • Food- grasses, indigobush, brittle bush, canterbury bells, evening primrose

36. King Snake • Reptile • Food- rattlesnake, pocket mouse, ground squirrel, kangaroo rat, lizards

37. Blister beetle • Insect • Food- Canterbury bells, evening primrose, indigo bush, grasses • Other relationships- the larvae are parasites of solitary bees

38. Black Fly • Insect Scavenger • Food- dead animals, animal droppings

39. Parasitic wasp • Insect • Food- nectar from brittle bush, mojave yucca, creosote bush, cholla, evening primrose • Other relationships- the larvae are parasites of spiders

40. Wolf Spider • Spider • Food- grasshoppers

41. Fan Palm • Plant • Food- makes its own sugar with energy from the sun, carbon dioxide from the air, and water from the soil • Other relationships- • Its seeds are spread by coyotes