Food Chain - Biotic/Abiotic Components & Tigers

Understanding Ecosystem in Tiger Landscapes 

The article's emphasis is on tigers surviving outside the protected areas in India. This is more of a simplification of the biotic components that prevail in an area highly stressed by human and livestock use.    

To understand this phenomenon we have to first understand the food chain in its simplest form. The food chain is best explained using a pyramid. 

How the creation and transfer of energy take place.  

1) At the lowest level are the autotrophs the living beings that use abiotic elements like sunlight, soil, water, and Co2 in order to produce energy. These are also called producers. Examples are plants, grass, herbs, shrubs, some microorganisms, and trees.   

2) Consumers or primary consumers subsist on the autotrophs so as to enable the transfer of energy. Herbivores are an example. Deer, Wild Ox, Bison, Elephants, Primates, and so on.    

3) Secondary Consumers are small predators and omnivorous creatures who subsist on primary consumers. Examples are foxes, jackals, wild dogs, raptors, etc. 

4) Tertiary Consumers are large predators which subsist on primary consumers and to some extent on secondary consumers.   Like Tigers, Lions, Cheetahs & Leopards, some bears, etc. These are also known as Apex predators, Normally these are designated as indicator species since their presence is a sign of a healthy ecosystem.    

5) Decomposers or scavengers feed on dead organisms they are small predators, hyenas, vultures, eagles, corvids, bacteria, and so on. 

Each layer from 2nd stage acts as a population control mechanism, in order to maintain an equilibrium in the environment. All components are instrumental in maintaining humidity/moisture and the composition of gases. Hence tigers are major control elements, and as top predators, they are indicators of a healthy ecosystem. I think this should justify conservation to all minds, Further understanding should arise by reading literature from acclaimed field biologists, conservationists, etc.    

When the tiger habitats contain a perfect ecosystem, the animal's survival is assured...in presence of protection from nefarious human activities like poaching. Land grab is another major threat to ecosystems all over. Niche habitats are destroyed by expanding human settlements, industrialization, and agriculture. We have lost large tracts of grasslands, marshlands, estuaries, rivers, marine ecosystems, and forests...all on a massive scale.    

In areas outside the critical tiger habitats, multiple pressure arises from agricultural practices, human habitation, livestock, and waste including toxic chemicals. The latter is a result of the widespread use of toiletries, fertilizers, and pesticides. Fumes emanating from vehicles, cooking, and noise pollution also contribute to damage to some extent. 

Livestock competes with natural inhabitants for vegetable matters and is instrumental in damaging the fragile ecosystem. They have been seen to easily outnumber the natural consumers reducing the prey base for predators including the tigers. In most of the buffer areas of our NPs the big cats are dependent on cattle and other livestock.  Besides conflict with man, they are susceptible to contagious diseases.

Tree felling in order to feed livestock is another practice that reduces the canopy. Denuded land is easily subject to loss of topsoil, and proliferation by weeds like parthenium or carrot grass and lantana.  As a result, altered weather can inhibit the breeding of tigers along with a reduced prey base. 

Another reason for denudation is our dependency on wood for energy, furniture, and construction.  In the past, clear felling was resorted for commercial logging resulting in wide-scale denudation as done by agricultural practices. Mining has the same impact as the latter besides contributing to hazardous environmental pollution.  

Hence we depend on tigers as well as all life forms for our survival plus not forgetting the purity of abiotic elements.  

Lack of planning has resulted in the indiscriminate use of our land and not leaving the niche habitats inviolate. As we aim for high economic growth further pressure is created. PAs are good examples of wise land use but we need this on a larger scale to preserve all that we can.   

Humans should minimize land use and let the Earth flourish. 

This article is in order to create an impressive group of thinkers, nature lovers, and environmentalists. A large voice/pressure group would mean the implementation of better policies that would save critically endangered species like the tiger in India and elsewhere.