Re: THOSE PESKY PIRANHA BUGS - III

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Llaneza" <maserati@earthlink.net>
> The carrying capacity for omnivores would be higher. Probably by an
> order of magnitude or two.

Some confusion here, probably. Locusts are vegetarian. Omnivore will eat
plants, meat and other digestible stuff. Assuming the 10 % food
conversion
efficiency mentioned earlier by Beth, biomass will be distributed 90%
plants, 9 % vegetarian animals, 1 % meat-eaters. Make all animals
omnivores
and you increase animals from 9 % to 10 %, This is not an order of
magnitude
( a FACTOR of 10)

You may have been comparing the carrying capacity for predatory Piranha
Bugs
and omnivorous PBs. Then it is right, 1 % -> 10%

Greetings
Karl Heinz

> K.H.Ranitzsch wrote:
> >Another variant might be modelled on locusts. Normally solitary
insects
> >living off the local vegatation. If population pressure becomes too
great,
> >they form gigantic swarms that migrate hundreds of kilometers and
strip
bare
> >the vegetation along their path.
> >
> >Make them omnivorous rather than vegetarian and you get a nasty
scenario.