Predation
What is Predation?
Predation is an interaction in which one organism, the predator, hunts, captures, and consumes another organism, the prey. Predation plays a key role in controlling population dynamics and maintaining ecosystem balance.
Role of Scavengers
In a food web, scavengers play an important role by helping to keep the environment clean. While predators hunt and kill live animals (prey) for food, scavengers eat animals that are already dead. This helps to remove dead bodies from the ecosystem, preventing the spread of disease and keeping the area healthy. By consuming leftovers, scavengers make sure that nothing goes to waste and that energy from dead animals is still used.
Scavengers also support the food web by breaking down dead animals, which helps return nutrients back to the soil. This process benefits plants, which in turn feed herbivores (plant-eaters), keeping the cycle of life going. So, while predators control populations by hunting, scavengers clean up the ecosystem and recycle nutrients, making them both essential to a balanced food web.