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trophic cascade
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yellow perch
What is a trophic cascade?
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. sea otter 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. “Otters, Algae, and Plants, Oh My”
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Videos

What is a trophic cascade?
Learn how small changes in the food pyramid can upend the ecosystem.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

yellow perch
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens).
Ken Hammond/U.S. Department of Agriculture
trophic pyramid
Trophic pyramid, also called an energy pyramid, showing the progression of food energy....
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
sea otter
A sea otter (Enhydra lutris) feeding on a sea urchin in the Kachemak Bay...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce
trophic cascade
Trophic cascade scenario: the removal of top carnivores from a terrestrial ecosystem.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Podcasts

“Otters, Algae, and Plants, Oh My”
Melissa Petruzzello of Encyclopædia Britannica and Kyle (Kai) Shanebeck of the University...
VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: