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Keystone or Umbrella Species?In the ecosystem of the red panda, an example of a keystone species is the white tailed deer. This animal eats the grass, which moderates the amount of grass in the biome. It is also eaten by tertiary consumers such as the puma and the bear. With the white tailed deer gone, the grass would run wild in the biome, and pumas and bears will definitely be harmed and begin to die out. The amount of insects eating the grass would also rise, and the ecosystem would collapse.
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Cycles of NatureOf the red panda's ecosystem, many cycles of nature exist. The water cycle is very small around the red panda, but it is powered by the occasional lakes and rivers found near red pandas. Due to the medium amount of animals, the carbon cycle is fairly constant, and runs by the decomposition of organisms. The nitrogen cycle is also fairly constant in this ecosystem, since the animals decompose a regular amount. The stratosphere above the red pandas has a regular ozone cycle, and the phosphorous cycle is carried by the consumption of plants and animals and tree roots. There is not much erosion in the ecosystem, however, making the phosphorous cycle slightly small. Fortunately, there is no smog found in this ecosystem, due to the very little pollution.
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