Predator-Prey Relationship

Definition

• Predator: Organism that eats the prey.
• Prey: Organism that gets eaten.

Graphical Representation

• X-axis: Time (usually in years).
• Y-axis: Population or number of organisms.

Prey Population Dynamics

• Increase: Occurs when conditions are favorable (ample food, low predator levels).
  • Driven by reproduction.
• Peak: Occurs when predator population increases due to abundant food.
• Decline: Begins as predator population peaks and reduces the prey population.

Predator Population Dynamics

• Increase: Follows the peak in prey population (more food).
• Peak and Decline: Follows the decrease in available prey.

Patterns and Relationships

1. Peaks and Troughs: Both predator and prey populations exhibit cyclical patterns of peaks and troughs.
2. Population Size: There are always more prey than predators due to the inefficiency of energy transfer through the food chain.
3. Lag Effect: Predator population changes lag behind changes in the prey population.

Interdependence and Human Impact

• Changes in one population affect the other due to their interdependence.
• Human activities impacting one population (e.g., hunting, habitat destruction) will consequently affect the other population as well.