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Mesopredator

A mesopredator is a predator that occupies a mid-ranking trophic level in a food web,, typically preying on smaller animals who are lower-level consumers. There is no standard, concrete definition of a mesopredator, though mesopredators tend to be small to medium-sized carnivorous or omnivorous animals such as mustelids, canines or felines, often defined by contrast from the apex predators of a particular food web.

Mesopredator release effect
When populations of an apex predator decrease, populations of mesopredators in the area often increase due to decreased competition and conflict with the apex predator. These mesopredator outbreaks can lead to declining prey populations, destabilized ecological communities, reduced biodiversity, and can even drive local extinctions. When apex predator populations decline, mesopredators can access hunting and den areas once controlled by the apex predators, essentially assuming the role of an apex predator. Fragmented habitats can drive these species to leave and find more suitable habitats. Additionally, in many fragmented habitats, apex predators have more encounters with humans, leaving them susceptible to harmful or deadly conflicts, sometimes resulting in eradication of the apex predator population entirely. Human development also promotes mesopredator outbreaks through increasing access to resources such as pet food, trash, and crops. The mesopredator release effect is not entirely understood. Most research has been conducted on mammal species, with limited studies on non-mammal animal species. Additionally, it is not well understood how these dynamics may play out in ecosystems with many mesopredator and apex predator species. ==See also==
Source: Wikipedia ↗
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