The Problem of Maintaining Prey-predator Interconnection within the Eco-system

Darwin said ‘Only those who can adopt to suit their new environment survive to breed and pass on their advantageous genes’ (Darwin). Nowadays, this theory is partially true. With the growth of new technologies and human ability to breed new species, introduce new and more suitable organisms to the environment and ecosystem, Darwin’s theory has lost its value. However, any new introduction can eventually lead to unpredictable and often insuperable consequences. The introduction of new grass, for example, may interrupt the food chains existing in the island. Certain plants, insects, small and middle-sized animals can become extinct forever. Thus, when planning the new introductions to the ecosystem, investigation of the food chains in the area must be conducted. In her work, Mary Ellen Hannibal has shed light on the problem of the need to maintain prey-predator interconnection within the eco-system as it helps to save the minor and major parts of the system healthy and suitable for living.

Every ecosystem depends on certain properties of the food chain. Some of the things in a food chain are consumers, and other things are producers (Hannibal 577). Understanding of the properties of an ecosystem is important. Studying plants – beaver – wolves ecosystem displays that those constitute a food chain. Wolves eat beavers. Beavers eat plants. Plants need sunlight, water, and warmth to grow fast. Their leaves get bigger due to sunlight which is consumed as food. The leaves are eventually eaten by beavers. If there are too many beavers, they do not have enough food when the time passes, and their population slightly reduces. If there are predators, like wolves, in the ecosystem, they consume beavers in food, and eventually the plants’ amount grows, beavers’ population stabilizes, and the amount of wolves stabilizes.

Hannibal claims that introduction of wolves to the Yellow Stone eco-system in the 90th has led to significant improvements in all aspects: the rivers became cleaner, fire incidents became less often, both predators and preys’ populations benefited from it (Hannibal 577). Moreover, the behavioral patterns of the animals have changed significantly as well. They have started to behave according to their instincts.

Hannibal has discussed the dangerousness of degraded eco-systems stating that each organism has a task. When they do not perform their natural tasks, the whole system suffers. For example, if the number of sunlight in the area changes it leads to the change of the whole system: the number of beavers, plants, and wolves. Fewer plants mean less food for beavers. Thus, there is not enough food for wolves, the ecosystem’s balance changes: the number of plants reduces because of the beavers’ amount of growth since there are not enough predators to hunt them. Moreover, the other parts of the eco-system are in danger as they are no longer taken ‘care of.’

In paragraphs 11 and 12, Hannibal raises the issue of sea otters. She claims that the problem in the seas is equivalent to the one on the terrain. She states that allowing hunting the sea otters will lead to food chain degradation. “The rationale that eliminating the predator increases the prey is shortsighted and ignores larger food-web dynamics” (Hannibal 580). Hannibal points out that the problem will be widespread across the continent.

All in all, eco-systems are ‘tender.’ They are significantly dependent on the variety of species in them. Introduction of new species or change in the eco-system elements can lead to its complete devastation. Introduction of new species or hunting the existing ones may lead to shortage or extinction of existing natural habitats of flora and fauna in the eco-system (Hunter n/p). Thus, if new species are introduced, there is a danger for host eco-system.

Works Cited

Hannibal, Mary Ellen. “Why the Beaver Shoukd Thank the Wolf.” 2012. Back to the Lake. Ed. Thomas Cooley. 3rd ed. New Tork: Norton, 2015. 577-80. Print.

Hunter, Scott G. Let’s Review: Biology. The Living Environment. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 2008: ISBN – 13: 978-0-7641-4018-1

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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