Research overview: trophic cascades initiated by apex felids

An overview of how large cats can structure ecosystems from the top down, with effects rippling through herbivores to vegetation and beyond. By killing and frightening herbivores, apex felids such as pumas, lions and tigers can reduce browsing and grazing pressure, allowing plant communities to recover, which in turn affects soils, streams and other species. This survey synthesizes evidence for felid-driven cascades, including the Zion cougar-deer-cottonwood case, the conditions that strengthen or weaken cascades such as predator hunting mode and system productivity, and the debate over how general and strong terrestrial cascades are. It distinguishes density-mediated from behaviorally mediated pathways. The topic frames big cats as potential keystone species whose conservation has consequences far beyond their prey populations.