Rattlesnake help?

Question

WHat nutrient cycles are likely to affect rattlesnakes?

Answer 1

To answer this question, you must know a little about the food chain.

First you must ask what nutrient cycles will affect the abundance of rattlesnake food.

In North America, and in general the main prey of most rattlesnakes are rodents.  

Knowing this you must then ask what nutrient cycles will affect rodent food.  Rodents (again in general) eat seeds, plants, and insects in many cases. -and insects eat plants.  

Everything goes back to plant growth, or primary productivity.       With this in mind, there are two nutrients that are highly limiting to plant growth in most ecosystems.  These nutrients are Nitrogen and Phosphorus.