Mesopredator Release Effect

The mesopredator release hypothesis is an

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their biophysical environment, physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosy ...

theory used to describe the interrelated

population dynamics Population dynamics is the type of mathematics used to model and study the size and age composition of populations as dynamical systems. History Population dynamics has traditionally been the dominant branch of mathematical biology, which has ...

between

apex predator An apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own. Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the highest trophic le ...

s and

mesopredator A Mesopredator is a mid-ranking predator in a trophic level, which typically prey on smaller animals. Mesopredators often vary in ecosystems depending on the food web. While there is no definitive measurement for mesopredators, they are usually ref ...

s within an

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

, such that a collapsing population of the former results in dramatically increased populations of the latter. This hypothesis describes the phenomenon of

trophic cascade Trophic cascades are powerful indirect interactions that can control entire ecosystems, occurring when a trophic level in a food web is suppressed. For example, a top-down cascade will occur if predators are effective enough in predation to reduce t ...

in specific terrestrial communities. A mesopredator is a medium-sized, middle

trophic level The trophic level of an organism is the position it occupies in a food web. A food chain is a succession of organisms that eat other organisms and may, in turn, be eaten themselves. The trophic level of an organism is the numb