
Trophic downgrading of planet Earth.
Until recently, large apex consumers were ubiquitous across the globe and had been for millions of years. The loss of these animals may be humankind's most pervasive influence on nature. Although such losses are widely viewed as an ethical and aesthetic problem, recent research reveals extensive cascading effects of their disappearance in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. This empirical work supports long-standing theory about the role of top-down forcing in ecosystems but also highlights the unanticipated impacts of trophic cascades on processes as diverse as the dynamics of disease, wildfire, carbon sequestration, invasive species, and biogeochemical cycles. These findings emphasize the urgent need for interdisciplinary research to forecast the effects of trophic downgrading on process, function, and resilience in global ecosystems.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Predatory Behavior
- Population Dynamics
- Introduced Species
- Humans
- General Science & Technology
- Food Chain
- Feeding Behavior
- Extinction, Biological
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity
Citation

Published In
DOI
EISSN
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Predatory Behavior
- Population Dynamics
- Introduced Species
- Humans
- General Science & Technology
- Food Chain
- Feeding Behavior
- Extinction, Biological
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity