Predation

Predation is an interaction in which one organism captures and consumes another organism. It transfers energy and nutrients from prey to predator.

Predator-prey interaction: An ecological relationship in which one species affects another through consumption or other direct interactions. Predation is its consumptive form, with a predator benefiting and prey harmed.
Food web: A network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem. Predation forms links through which energy moves between species.
Top-down control: The regulation of lower trophic levels by consumers or predators at higher trophic levels. Predators can change prey abundance and indirectly reshape vegetation or other resources.
Lotka–Volterra equations: A pair of differential equations modeling interacting predator and prey populations. This classic model represents population change through predation and prey growth.
Prey detection: The process by which a predator locates or recognizes potential prey. Detection begins the sequence leading from encounter to capture.
Trophic level: A position an organism occupies in a food chain based on how it obtains energy. Predators occupy consumer levels determined by the organisms they eat.
Trophic cascade: An ecological sequence in which effects at one trophic level propagate through other levels. Predator-driven changes in prey can cascade to organisms prey do not consume.
Sea otter: A marine mammal that feeds mainly on invertebrates, including sea urchins and shellfish. Sea otter predation can limit urchins and affect kelp forest structure.
Foraging: The search for and acquisition of food by an organism. Predators allocate time and energy among searching, pursuing, and handling prey.
Consumer-resource interaction: An ecological interaction in which one organism consumes another organism or its resources. Predation is one specific kind of consumer-resource interaction.

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