trophic cascade: Quick Facts

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An energy pyramid diagram showing four levels: producers like grass at the base, primary consumers such as rabbits above, secondary consumers like snakes next, and a tertiary consumer, an eagle, at the top. Arrows indicate energy transfer upward and energy loss at each level.

Side-by-side illustration comparing an ecosystem before and after the removal of top carnivores. The left panel shows a balanced landscape with wolves, bears, foxes, diverse birds, and a variety of plants, while the right panel shows an ecosystem dominated by large herbivores like elk and deer, fewer predators, reduced plant variety, and less songbird diversity.

What is a trophic cascade?

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Predation food chain ecosystem ecological disturbance ecological resilience Biogeochemical cycle mesopredator release ecotone population Boundary ecosystem How Do You Rewild an Environment?community environment