What is nutrient cycling?

Answer 1

A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter. The process is regulated by food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients. Nutrient cycles occur within ecosystems. Ecosystems are interconnected systems where matter and energy flows and is exchanged as organisms feed, digest, and migrate about.

Answer 2

Producers: The Sahara desert food chain begins with the plants. In spite of the extreme heat and less rainfall there are many plants and animals that live here. The plants are called producers as they do photosynthesis and thus prepare food . There are many kinds of plants in the desert. They are the date palms, Cacti, thorn acacia, creosote bush, sage brush, desert milkweed, desert willow, desert tobacco and many annuals.

Primary consumers or Herbivores: In the Sahara desert food chain the next level are the herbivores which eat only plants. The plants are eaten by primary consumers called herbivores. These are small mammals like kangaroo rat , ground squirrels, certain insects, (a wild sheep), gazelle, and Arabian camels.