Apart from being part of the food chain, predators play other important roles. Mention any two such roles supported by examples.

Predators play an important role in-

1. Maintaining the prey population:

Predators have profound effects throughout their ecosystems. Dispersing rich nutrients and seeds from foraging, they influence the structure of ecosystems by controlling the distribution, abundance and diversity of ecosystems.

For eg. Wolves

Wolves are one of the most closely studied predators whose ecological effects have been widely documented. Researches revealed that in areas where wolves are absent, uncheckrd populations decrease the abundance of native plant species and their overgrazing leads to the general degradation of forests. Because wolves prey increased in numbers.

2. Ecological disturbance:

Predators play a key role in maintaining the natural balance of ecosystems. Killing of predators disrupts the natural balance of wildlife and their environment, eg. Badgers are fossorial carnivores they prey on animals that mostly live underground such as ground squirrel, marmots, lizards, insects etc. When foraging badgers use their strong sense of smell to locate prey and then penetrate the soil in targeted areas. This digging provides aeration and nutrient mixing and helps maintain moisture to the soil, all of which aid in recruiting native plant species.