Logging companies own significant amounts of land in the coastal ranges of California and typically hold onto their land for many decades. Their most important harvest is the redwood tree, which thrives, in moist, cool environments. The many small creeks that run through the coastal ranges support aquatic organisms including algae, fish, and invertebrates such as insect larvae and crustaceans. Because logging disturbs the soil, causing sediment to erode into the creeks, environmentalists have pushed for regulations preventing logging within a specified number of feet from all creeks. However, if the logging companies were given a choice, they would prefer to log the trees very close to the creeks. 1Using the concepts of limiting factors and primary productivity, explain why the logging companies would like to be able to log next to the creeks.

2Consider the effect that logging next to the creeks could have on the primary productivity within the creek. Explain two abiotic factors that could be changed by the logging and whether each of these changes would be expected to increase or decrease the primary productivity of the creek ecosystem. Suppose a new aquatic invertebrate is introduced into the creek. This invader species is extremely good at eating algae, and is able to eat most of the algae before the native invertebrates.

3Explain two consequences of this change on the creek food web. Choose two of the following three nutrients: sulfur, phosphorous, nitrogen. Explain how each of the two nutrients enters and leaves the forest ecosystem.

An explanation would too please