Trophic Dynamics and Predator Management in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Terrestrial ecosystems are structured by complex interactions among primary producers, herbivores and predators, with apex species exerting top-down control that can cascade through multiple trophic levels. The removal or addition of large carnivores often triggers mesopredator release, whereby mid-ranking predators proliferate and alter prey communities. These dynamics are further modulated by bottom-up factors such as primary productivity and seasonal resource pulses. Predator management—ranging from lethal control and translocation to rewilding and habitat restoration—seeks to reconcile human interests with ecological function. Effective strategies require integration of robust experimental designs, long-term monitoring and adaptive frameworks that account for social stability, landscape heterogeneity and anthropogenic subsidies. Examples from wolf reintroductions in North America to feral dog management in Australia illustrate global relevance, highlighting the need to balance livestock protection, biodiversity conservation and human–wildlife coexistence.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Analyses of peri-urban carnivore diets demonstrate high dietary overlap across regions, with generalist predators consuming similar prey sizes irrespective of landscape context. These findings indicate significant potential for predation on fragmented native fauna, underlining the necessity for targeted management in human-dominated settings. On island systems, long-term dietary and health assessments reveal that top predators exploit diverse food resources—including marine subsidies—maintaining robust body condition despite concerns over restricted diets. Such studies emphasise that anthropogenic resource subsidies can sustain predator populations without leading to widespread malnutrition, but may also influence predation pressure on native species. Collectively, these insights refine our understanding of how human-altered foodscapes affect trophic roles and inform conflict mitigation strategies in semi-natural environments.

Trophic Dynamics and Predator Management in Terrestrial Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in trophic dynamics and predator management in terrestrial ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Trophic cascade: A series of indirect interactions that link predator populations to changes in the abundance or biomass of organisms at multiple lower trophic levels.

Mesopredator release: The increase in abundance or ecological impact of mid-ranking predators following the removal or decline of apex predators.

Apex predator: A species at the top of a food web with no natural predators, capable of exerting strong regulatory effects on prey and competitor populations.

Anthropogenic resource subsidy: Food or other resources provided directly or indirectly by human activities, which can alter natural foraging patterns and population dynamics.

Intraguild predation: Predation among species that occupy similar trophic positions, combining competitive and consumptive interactions.

References

1. Stuck in the mud: Persistent failure of ‘the science’ to provide reliable information on the ecological roles of Australian dingoes. Biological Conservation (2023).
2. More than Mere Numbers: The Impact of Lethal Control on the Social Stability of a Top-Order Predator. PLOS ONE (2009).
3. Intraguild relationships between sympatric predators exposed to lethal control: predator manipulation experiments. Frontiers in Zoology (2013).
4. Anthropogenic Resource Subsidies Determine Space Use by Australian Arid Zone Dingoes: An Improved Resource Selection Modelling Approach. PLOS ONE (2013).
5. Diet of dingoes and other wild dogs in peri-urban areas of north-eastern Australia. Scientific Reports (2016).
6. Insects for breakfast and whales for dinner: the diet and body condition of dingoes on Fraser Island (K’gari). Scientific Reports (2016).