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Today, many species become endangers due to many different environmental factors. Though desert kangaroo rats are not threatened by any specific factor, there are definitely certain factors that could impact the population of these rats. For example, one of the biggest environmental factors that could affect the desert is pollution. If people continued to throw away their trash or leave any type of waste in the desert, it will become more difficult for the rats to survive. They can pollute both the air and the land of the habitat of many different organisms. Not only will the rats be directly impacted by the waste, but the plants in the desert will also be affected. If these plants die due to pollution, then the rats would not be able to survive, as, mentioned previously, desert kangaroo rats rely on plants for food.

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The graph below is a population model with K, carrying capacity (Graph 2, 2016). Carrying capacity is the maximum population size of the species. Every organism has a carrying capacity, including the desert kangaroo rats. As the female rats reproduce, the population size will increase exponentially for a certain of time. However, as the population size gets closer and closer to the carrying capacity, the population size will start to increase at a slower rate and level off. That is because as population size increases, the population density will most likely increase. When there are too many desert kangaroo rats in one area, the population will be affected due to competition among the rats. It is possible that there won't be enough food availble for the entire population, causing the rats to die and decrease in population size.

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A survivorship curve shows the chance that an individual will survive at a certain age. The graph below shows the three different types of curves (Survivorship Curve, 2016). In Type I, the chance that one might survive is very high during the early stages of life. However, the death rate suddenly decreases near the end of his or her life span. In Type II, the death rate decreases constantly without any sudden increase or decrease. In Type II, the chance that one might survive during the early stages of life is very low, as it can be seen in the graph. If the organism that falls under the Type III curve survived through the early stages of his or her life, the chance that the organism will die will keep decreasing, but at much slower rate. Desert kangaroo rats will mosy likely fall under the Type I, as the female rats do not give birth to a large amount of offspring at once. They typically have 3 or more litters of 1-7 young per year, which is more than the amount of human but less than the amount of oysters (DesertUSA, 2016). Therefore, it makes sense to say that dsert kangaroo rats will most likely fall under the Type II category.

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Desert kangaroo rats are solitary creatures, as only one rat occupies a burrow (Blue Planet Biomes, 2016). They may form widely spaced colonies with clusters of 6-12 burrows in each colony (Pauli, 2016). As they could live alone and as a group, it can be said that the dispersion pattern of desert kangaroo rats is random. Some of the density dependent factors that might impact them are competition and predation. As mentioned previously, desert kangaroo rats tend to be solitary creatures. That means that they will often compete with each other for food. Especially if there are too many rats in one are of the desert, there is a higher chance that there will be a food shortage. Also, in the desert, there will be other ceatures that will prey on the rats, which can also impact the population of desert kangaroo rats. Some of the density independent factors are human activities and natural disasters. In some areas, desert kangaroo rats are ran over by cars and other vehicles driven by humans (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2016). Furthermore, since they rely mostly on plants in terms of food, any natral disasters that wil cause the plants in the desert perish will also impact the desert kangaroo rats, as they won't have enough food to survive.

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Desert kangaroo rats are primary consumers, as it can be seen in the diagram in the left. They mostly eat plant seeds or other plants, meaning that they are herbivores (Pauli, 2016). Even though on certain occasions they eat insects, they realy mostly on plants seeds found in the desert (Blue Desert Biomes, 2016). Fun fact: They have cheek pouches that are able to carry seeds for a long period of time (DesertUSA, 2016).

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This is a pyramid that shows the different trophic lovels of the food web (Ecological Pyramid, 2016). Plants, such as trees, grass, and flowers, are considered to be primary producers, as they are able to make their own food through photosynthesis. Other examples of primary producers plankton and algae. Primary consumers are herbivores that feed on the plants. Some examples of primary consumers are deer, rats, and rabbits. Secondary consumers are carnivores that consume the primary consumers. Some examples of secondary consumers include eagles and frogs. Depending on the ecosystem, the trophic levels the animals are placed in could vary. However, as you go up the pyramid below, the level above will feed on the level below. While the quaternary consumers will feed on tertiary consumers, the tertiary consumers will feed on the secondary consumers, and and so on.

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A map of desert kangaroo rat distribution in California (California Gap Analysis Project's Predicted Distribution Map, 2016).

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Desert kangaroo rats live in a variety of deserts and some of the most arid areas in North America (Blue Planet Biomes, 2016). In the United States, they are found in the southwestern and western regions, such as California (DesertUSA, 2016). They can also be found in some parts of Mexico (Desert Animals, 2016). In these deserts that the desert kangaroo rats live in, the average temperature ranges from 20°-25° C (University of California Museum of Paleontology, 2016). There is little humidity and little rain (University of California Museum of Paleontology, 2016). Desert kangaroo rats have have adaptions that allow them to survive in such extreme conditions. They do not need to drink water, as they get all the moisture they need from their seed diet by using their ability to extract the water from the seeds they consume (DesertUSA, 2016).

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Blue Planet Biomes. (2016). West Tisbury Elementary School. Accessed on May 14, 2016. Available from: http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/kangaroo_rat.htm
California Gap Analysis Project's Predicted Distribution Map [Image]. (2016). Retrieved from http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/maps/CA_maphtml/m109.html
Desert Animals. (2016). The Animal Spot. Accessed on May 14, 2016. Available from: http://www.desertanimals.net/desertanimals/kangaroorat.html
DesertUSA. (2016). DesertUSA. Accessed on May 14, 2016. Available from: http://www.desertusa.com/animals/kangaroo-rat.html
Ecological Pyramid [Image]. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.ck12.org/biology/Trophic-Levels/lesson/Trophic-Levels-BIO/
Graph 2 [Image]. (2016). Retrieved from http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/thomas.wolosz/popbionote.htm
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (2016). International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Accessed on May 14, 2016. Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6686/0
Mansell, B. (Photographer). (2016). Desert kangaroo rat [Image], Retrieved from http://www.arkive.org/desert-kangaroo-rat/dipodomys-deserti/
Pauli, J. (2016). Dipodomys deserti. University of Michigan. Accessed on May 14, 2016. Available from: http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dipodomys_deserti/
Survivorship Curve [Image]. (2016). Retrieved from http://faculty.southwest.tn.edu/rburkett/ES%20-%20Populations.htm
University of California Museum of Paleontology. (2016). University of California, Berkeley. Accessed on May 14, 2016. Available from: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php#hot

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A photo of a desert kangaroo rat!!! (Mansell, 2016).