Perfect World

1. Perfect World By: Mohammad Khan and Anthony Yam

2. SPIKED MAIDEN PLANT Description Type: Producer Range: Scatter throughout the tropical rainforest Population Size: Large Reproduction: Self pollination, flowers around summer and beginning of fall Nutrition: Autotroph and eaten by Hunter Frog (seeds), Dinosaurs (outer layer of skin), and Giant Spider (outer layer of skin) Climate: High temperatures , warm and sunny autumns, foggy environment, and high humidity Surface: Lives on the forest floor, and some elevated areas

3. ARMORED TREE Description Type: Producer Range: Scatter throughout the tropical rainforest Population Size: Large Reproduction: Pollinated with the help of the wind Nutrition: Autotroph and eaten by Hunter Frog (seeds) Climate: High temperatures , warm and sunny summers, cool autumn Surface: Around the tropical rain forest, trees extend through the canopy layer, which allows them to obtain the most sunlight

4. HUNTER FROG Description Type: Consumer Range: Scatter throughout the tropical rainforest, especially in dense, foggy areas Population Size: Moderate Reproduction: Males fertilize the eggs produced by the females, externally Nutrition: Seeds from the Spiked Maiden Plant and the seeds from the Armored Tree. Eaten by Primaraptor and Giant Spiders. Climate: Warm and moist areas, and areas with plenty of water Surface: Amphibious, lives near water

5. PRIMARAPTOR Description Type: Consumer Range: Scattered throughout the outskirts of the rainforest Population Size: Moderate Reproduction: Internal fertilization and extensive care for the young Nutrition: Hunter Frog, seeds from the Armored Tree and outer layer from the Spiked Maiden plant. Eaten by Giant Spider Climate: Cool winters, warm and sunny summers Surface: Land with no capability of swimming

6. GIANT SPIDER Description Type: Consumer Range: Centered around moist areas and dark caves Population Size: Small Reproduction: Sexual reproduction and offspring receive care and assistance. Nutrition: Hunter Frog, seeds from the Armored Tree and outer layer from the Spiked Maiden Plant, and Primaraptors. This organism is the top level predator Climate: Cool summers and moderate winters Surface: Forest floor and top of the trees

7. LAS PLAGAS Description Type: Decomposer Range: Soil throughout the rain forest Population Size: Large Reproduction: Asexual reproduction, hermaphroditic, and no care of young Nutrition: Eat anything and everything when it is dead Climate: Warm temperatures, and moist environments Surface: Flat ground, under rocks, forest floor, and soil

8. Disturbance in the Ecosystem • A gravid (pregnant) Blood Anaconda is introduced into the rain forest. The Anaconda consumes giant spiders, and hunter frogs. Due to its inconsistency and size, reproduction is rare. Anacondas will consume all the high levels of toxicity contained within the bodies of the other consumers, which will adversely affect other organisms in the rain forest. As the saliva of the python and blood drips from the mouth, it has a high level of toxicity. This can cause a paralysis effect, which can allow the anaconda to quickly swallow its prey. Plants will also be damaged by the saliva, which can even kill the plants, or other organisms in the path of the anacondas.

9. Impact on Species

10. Endangered • Hunter Frogs: They are constantly being consumed by these newly introduced species. • Giant Spider: They are constantly being consumed by the newly introduced Blood Anacondas. This will lower their populations, and endanger them.

11. Threatened • Primaraptors: These dinosaurs will lose their food source concerning Hunter frogs, even though the primaraptors can consume other small organisms. They lose several food sources previously available to them. • Spiked Maiden Plant: These plants will be threatened due to the saliva and blood of the Anaconda dripping from its mouth, which has the potential of harming these plants. Also the wide radius of these snakes can potentially crush all plants, and organisms underneath its weight. Therefore, these plants will be constantly crushed, and its protective scales can withstand the explosive seeds as well. Thus, these plants will become threatened, through the introduction of this new species.

12. No Change • Las Plagas: There will be plenty of dead organisms for the Plagas to eat. The decomposers will face no change from the introduction of these species.

13. Increase • Armored Tree: Since the forest has fewer predators, predators do not consume the seeds contained in the hollow branches readily. These seeds will be consumed less, and thus there are chances of an increased amount of Armored trees in the near future. • Blood Anacondas: Despite its size, the forest is full of food, which allows more reproductive opportunities. Therefore, once reproduction would occur, there are fewer predators, that can harm the offspring. Thus, these blood anacondas will certainly increase, because all the factors in the environment are in their favor.

14. Mitigation • Prevent entry of the Blood Anaconda: • Prevent, or at least delay entry of this dangerous creature. Recommended practices include: It is possible to utilize land mines, which will upset the rain forest, as an attempt to destroy the anacondas. These land mines will destroy the habitat of the rain forest, which is something, which should be put into consideration. Most likely, this will tend to be a last resort method to try to exterminate these invasive species, from committing further harm to the rain forest. Anacondas should be attracted to the outskirts of the forest, through baiting methods. This will potentially minimize the damage, which the rainforest will face from the land mines. • Population control for the Blood Anacondas: If entry is not preventable, then other methods must be devised to limit the population of Blood Anacondas. For example: • Destroy eggs: It is essential to destroy the eggs of the Blood Anaconda to prevent the population of these dangerous species from increasing. By destroying the eggs, only the surviving Anacondas would live in the rain forest. Through the use of traps, and weapons it is possible to eliminate those anacondas as well. This can greatly limit the population, or possible destroy these invasive species from the rain forest. • Traps, Weapons: It is possible to kill the Blood Anacondas by utilizing various traps to keep them contained in an specific area, before they can be eradicated by humans. Various weapons utilized by humans can also aid in trying to destroy these anacondas. This would depend solely on the population of the Blood Anacondas. If the population is out of control, this method of population control may be inefficient.