Scientists have seen what happens when the balance of factors in a soda lake changes. It happened at another lake where fl amingos once nested. A factory blocked some fresh water from flowing into the lake. Without enough fresh water to dilute the lake, minerals and salts built up. T ey caked on the legs of the chicks like heavy bracelets. T e chicks had trouble liſt ing their legs. T ey could barely move. To find fresher water for the chicks, the


flock moved from safe islands to closer to the shore. T ere, hyenas attacked. Only the quick action of the scientists, who rescued hundreds of thousands of chicks, helped save many birds. Today, this population of flamingos is fairly


healthy. As many as 2.5 million of these birds fly from soda lake to soda lake. T ey depend on the salts, heat, algae, and other factors in this extreme ecosystem to survive. T e interaction of these living and nonliving things keeps this ecosystem in balance. It will keep the flamingos coming back for generations to come.


abiotic factor: the effects on an ecosystem from the nonliving parts of it


benefi cial: an interaction that is helpful


biotic factor: the effects on an ecosystem from the living parts of it


competition: a struggle for resources in an ecosystem


ecosystem: the interaction of living and nonliving things in an area


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