2006-09-09 17:59:38 · 12 answers · asked by shauna_khairulazhar 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Think about it. Predators have to eat every day. So for every one predator, there has to be enough prey. If there were more predators than prey, then some of those predators would have to become prey. In fact, every predator is some other creature's prey. So maybe there's an even number of predators and prey, after all.
2006-09-09 18:05:33 · answer #1 · answered by Ann Toozie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
inefficiency in the consumption of resources is the key. For every level higher you go in the food chain you need 10 pounds of prey meat to maintain 1 pound of the predator's body weight.
It's really just a consequence of thermodynamics, that there is no perfectly efficient machine that doesn't waste energy. Since every animal uses some of it's energy it consumes to maintain it's existence (called homeostasis), it's not going to available to the predator who hunts this animal. This is even considering the fact that most predators can survive on different types of prey, regardless they can never number anywhere close to the number of prey that they live off and survive.
2006-09-09 18:09:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because if there were more predators than prey there wouldn't be enough for all of the predators to eat. theres generally a 10% difference between trophic levels (i.e. if there are 100 rabbits there will b 10 hawks)
2006-09-09 18:05:21 · answer #3 · answered by god 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
predators have territories to ensure there is enough prey to keep them alive. They defend it very well. If there were the same number of predators to prey there wouldn't be any of either, because the pedators would starve to death.
2006-09-09 18:05:39 · answer #4 · answered by eva diane 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because if the predators ate all the prey, then the prey population would die out, and so would the predators.
2006-09-09 18:08:30 · answer #5 · answered by C_Millionaire 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the predators eat the prey. "Survival of the fittest"
2006-09-09 21:51:45 · answer #6 · answered by reyna danaya 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the simplist answer is breeding, take rabbits and the stoat, the rabbit breed particularly effectively (better than any variety of stoats can kill) yet in maximum foodstuff webs some predator are additionally predated on themselves which may additionally stability the predator/prey stability.
2016-09-30 13:00:46 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep in mind that in some cases the pray can be a predator as well. Watch your step when you are in the tall grass.
2006-09-09 18:07:10 · answer #8 · answered by Don K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to give food to the predators otherwise shortage of food and predators will fight among themselves to become extinct.
2006-09-10 12:44:03 · answer #9 · answered by moosa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
AdamKadmon have give u the correct answer!!
and the food piramid shows that producers (plants) are more than herbivores, and herbivores is more than carnivores.
imagine if the tiger population is higher than deers.
of course all the deers will die, because tigers hunt them, and after the deer extinct, the tiger will die too........
sorry if my English is bad............
2006-09-09 18:05:55 · answer #10 · answered by Papilio paris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋