Research overview: prey density thresholds for felid persistence

A survey of the minimum prey abundance large cats need to maintain viable populations and why prey depletion is a leading cause of felid decline. Because predator density scales with prey biomass, there are thresholds below which reproduction and survival fail and populations cannot persist, even in intact habitat, making prey depletion functionally equivalent to habitat loss. This overview synthesizes prey-based density models for tigers, lions, leopards and snow leopards, the concept of empty habitat, and how thresholds vary with predator body size and energetic needs. It connects carrying-capacity theory to conservation targets and to the recovery of prey as a precondition for recovering cats. The topic underscores the centrality of the prey base to large-felid conservation worldwide.