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Related Concept Videos

Trophic Levels01:35

Trophic Levels

All organisms in an ecosystem occupy a trophic level in the food chain. The lowest level consists of primary producers, which synthesize their food from either solar or chemical energy. Each subsequent level obtains energy from the levels below. Detritivores can occupy any of the levels above primary producers.
Trophic Efficiency00:46

Trophic Efficiency

Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) is a measure of the total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next. Due to extensive energy loss as metabolic heat, an average of only 10% of the original energy obtained is passed on to the next level. This pattern of energy loss severely limits the possible number of trophic levels in a food chain.
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
Microbial Interactions: Predation01:28

Microbial Interactions: Predation

Microbial predation refers to the process by which one microorganism kills and consumes another to obtain nutrients and energy. It encompasses both bacterial and protozoan predators. This interaction plays a crucial role in shaping microbial communities and regulating nutrient cycling.Bacterial Predators: Epibiotic vs. EndobioticBacterial predators are classified based on their mode of attack as either epibiotic or endobiotic. Epibiotic predators, such as Vampirococcus, attach to the surface of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
10:20

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Predator diversity dampens trophic cascades.

Deborah L Finke1, Robert F Denno

  • 1Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. dfinke@umd.edu

Nature
|May 28, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Increasing predator diversity in food webs weakens trophic cascades, dampening the impact of natural enemies on herbivores and ultimately influencing plant productivity. This highlights how higher trophic level diversity alters ecosystem function.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem Dynamics
  • Food Web Interactions

Background:

  • Food web complexity is hypothesized to weaken terrestrial trophic cascades.
  • Predator diversity can increase food web complexity by introducing intraguild predation and shared prey dynamics.
  • Theory suggests increased predator diversity may relax predation on herbivores, dampening cascading effects on primary production.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically investigate the role of predator diversity in mediating primary productivity in a natural terrestrial system.
  • To compare the impacts of simple versus diverse predator assemblages on herbivores and plant productivity.
  • To test the hypothesis that enhanced predator diversity weakens trophic cascades.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of arthropod predator impacts on herbivores and plant productivity in a coastal marsh.

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  • Experimental manipulation of predator diversity, contrasting a simple food web (single predator species) with a complex food web (diverse predator assemblage).

    • Main Results:

    • Enhanced predator diversity was shown to dampen the effects of natural enemies on herbivores.
    • Increased predator diversity resulted in weakened trophic cascades.
    • Changes in higher trophic level diversity significantly altered ecosystem function.

    Conclusions:

    • Predator diversity plays a crucial role in mediating the strength of trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems.
    • The complexity introduced by diverse predator assemblages can significantly alter ecosystem functions, such as primary productivity.
    • Findings underscore the importance of biodiversity at higher trophic levels for ecosystem stability and function.