Because predator species are critical to maintaining ecosystem stability, conservation efforts have focused on protecting them to ensure stable populations. However, actions to protect predator populations can have a negative impact on the prey populations consumed by the predator species, especially if they are threatened.
Trade-offs between predator and prey in conservation
Because predator species are critical to maintaining ecosystem stability, conservation efforts have focused on protecting them to ensure stable populations. However, actions to protect predator populations can have a negative impact on the prey populations consumed by the predator species, especially if they are threatened.
Nº 14
Sagarmatha National Park
- Wildlife & Nature Conservation
- Conservation of Wildlife
- Conservation of Specific Species
some attempts made
past case
Region-1
Region-2
Region-3
Region-4
ongoing case
no attempts made
None
Trade-offs between predator and prey in conservation
Following the reintroduction of the keystone predator snow leopard to Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal, predation on the Himalayan tahr, a ‘critically endangered’ caprin, has increased. Small populations of tahr in the area are vulnerable to local extinction if predation, particularly on young tahr, continues.
- Frustrated the efforts to address the initial problem
- Cascading (far-reaching effects following each other)
Lovari, S., Boesi, R., Minder, I., Mucci, N., Randi, E., Dematteis, A., & Ale, S. B. (2009). Restoring a keystone predator may endanger a prey species in a human-altered ecosystem: The return of the snow leopard to Sagarmatha National Park. Animal Conservation, 12(6), 559–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00285.x
Marshall, K.N., Stier, A.C., Samhouri, J.F., Kelly, R.P., Ward & E.J. (2015). Conservation Challenges of Predator Recovery . Policy Perspectives, 9(1), 70-78. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12186
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