mesopredator
English edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
mesopredator (plural mesopredators)
- (ecology) A medium-sized predator which often increases in abundance when larger predators are eliminated.
- Raccoons, skunks, snakes, cats, and foxes are mesopredators.
- 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 227:
- Large predators are equally important as keystone species; their removal can allow predators in the next size class down to proliferate. This phenomenon, known as meso-predator release, can have a huge impact on ecosystems.
Derived terms edit
References edit
- Groom, M., Meffe, G., Carroll, C. 2006. Principles of Conservation Biology. Sinauer Associates, Inc.