Top Predators Are Crucial in Keeping Ecosystems in Balance

Mankind's actions is affecting the balance of animal life on the planet. Herbivores and their predators are declining in all regions. When a top predator ceases to exist the animal environment is no longer in balance.

Focusing on individual animals is faulty research. It is important to examine The way an animal fits into the whole system. The study of top predators such as lions, wolves, and sharks is difficult. How do you test how an ecosystem would function without them? Research to date shows that losing top animals causes damaging effects from the top down. For example too many herbivores creates deforestation because they eat the shoots of young trees sprouting from the ground.

Leopards declined in Africa then baboons increased in number moved into town and spread intestinal parasites to humans. Reducing the number of great wales has released carbon into the atmosphere: their feces stored carbon which fell to the ocean floor.

In the past animal parks have been created which intentionally left out top predators. This was clearly a mistake. There was no way the system could be in balance without them.