Interactions between the Hunter and the Hunted
The predator-prey relationship is typically called predation. It shows how the predator organism usually benefits by harming the prey organism to gain energy. With the high amount of biodiversity within our park, there is an almost indefinite amount of predation relationships within our environment. This predation may not be solely for the purpose of the predator gaining energy. Instead, it might give the predator an advantage or give it protection from other predators. One such example of this is how the rare poison dart frogs within our park consume a large amount of ants. This in itself is a predator-prey relationship, but it highly special because the poison dart frog does not eat the ants just for the sake of food. The ants that it consumes contain toxins within their bodies, and the poison dart frogs can convert the ant toxin into its own toxin. This toxin allows the poison dart frog to ward of other would be predators that might otherwise threaten, showing the predator-prey relationship is about more than just food sources. (22)
Another, more down to earth and mostly about food, predator-prey relationship is that between the Chestnut-mandibled Toucan and fruit-bearing trees such as mango trees. The toucan eats the fruit that the tree produces almost entirely for sustenance, with little other end goal. One important message behind such a basic relationship is that a predator-prey relationship is not always between two animals. It can be between an animal and a plant.
Population Control
One result of predation in our ecosystem is that it keeps the population sizes of various species in balance. If the amount of predators in an ecosystem decreased, the population size of the animals the predators ate would logically increase and vice versa. Predators stop the rapidly reproducing populations of prey from overtaking the environment and throwing it out of balance. If even one population within an ecosystem changes in population size too much, a chain reaction will cascade through the environment and affect the rest of the species within our interconnected park. One example of this goes back to the keystone species of our park, the jaguar. One of the jaguars main prey is the agouti. Although the agouti breed at a relatively fast pace, the population stays relatively stable and does not often increase. This is because of the role of the jaguar. The jaguar will prey upon the agouti, ensuring that many agouti do not survive to reproduce. This stops the population of agouti in our park from skyrocketing and is a sign of a healthy environment. (3)
Another example of population control that is created by predation is the relationship between the Fer-de-Lance snake and the Paca, a small mammal. The Fer-de-Lance will eat a Paca, and will not eat another for a long period of time. Although this does not seem like it would be enough predation to keep the Paca population in check, it is actually enough to do so. This is because female Paca often give birth to only one offspring at once. Therefore the Paca population is kept in check even by the slow eating habits of the Fer-de-Lance.
Both of these roles of predation in population control show how vastly different behaviors between different sets of organisms can keep the populations of various animals in check. Even drastically different relationships still serve the same purpose, showing the complexity of natural interactions even between only two species within an environment.
Another example of population control that is created by predation is the relationship between the Fer-de-Lance snake and the Paca, a small mammal. The Fer-de-Lance will eat a Paca, and will not eat another for a long period of time. Although this does not seem like it would be enough predation to keep the Paca population in check, it is actually enough to do so. This is because female Paca often give birth to only one offspring at once. Therefore the Paca population is kept in check even by the slow eating habits of the Fer-de-Lance.
Both of these roles of predation in population control show how vastly different behaviors between different sets of organisms can keep the populations of various animals in check. Even drastically different relationships still serve the same purpose, showing the complexity of natural interactions even between only two species within an environment.