We investigated how large carnivores, herbivores, and plants may be linked to the maintenance of native species biodiversity through trophic
cascades. The extirpation of wolves (Canis lupus) from Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1920s and their reintroduction in 1995 provided the
opportunity to examine the cascading effects of carnivore–herbivore interactions on woody browse species, as well as ecological responses involving
riparian functions, beaver (Castor canadensis) populations, and general food webs. Our results indicate that predation risk may have profound
effects on the structure of ecosystems and is an important constituent of native biodiversity. Our conclusions are based on theory involving trophic
cascades, predation risk, and optimal foraging; on the research literature; and on our own recent studies in Yellowstone National Park. Additional
research is needed to understand how the lethal effects of predation interact with its nonlethal effects to structure ecosystems.
We investigated how large carnivores, herbivores, and plants may be linked to the maintenance of native species biodiversity through trophiccascades. The extirpation of wolves (Canis lupus) from Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1920s and their reintroduction in 1995 provided theopportunity to examine the cascading effects of carnivore–herbivore interactions on woody browse species, as well as ecological responses involvingriparian functions, beaver (Castor canadensis) populations, and general food webs. Our results indicate that predation risk may have profoundeffects on the structure of ecosystems and is an important constituent of native biodiversity. Our conclusions are based on theory involving trophiccascades, predation risk, and optimal foraging; on the research literature; and on our own recent studies in Yellowstone National Park. Additionalresearch is needed to understand how the lethal effects of predation interact with its nonlethal effects to structure ecosystems.
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