Removing wolves, a keystone species, from a prairie ecosystem disrupts the balance. The resultant surge in deer population alters vegetation, affecting small mammals that falcons prey on. This indirect impact leads to potential food shortages for falcons, influencing their reproduction and abundance.
In a prairie ecosystem food web, wolves are considered a keystone species due to their top-down effects on the entire community. Wolves primarily prey on herbivores like deer, controlling their population and influencing their behavior. If wolves were removed from the ecosystem, the deer population might increase significantly as there would be no apex predator to regulate it.
The indirect effects on falcon populations stem from the altered dynamics in the ecosystem. With an increase in the deer population, there would be greater pressure on vegetation as deer graze more extensively. This could lead to changes in the structure of the habitat and availability of resources. As a consequence, the small mammal populations that falcons rely on for food may be affected. If the density of small mammals decreases due to habitat changes or increased competition, falcon populations may experience food shortages, affecting their reproduction and overall abundance.
Thus, the removal of wolves, as a keystone species, can set off a cascade of ecological changes that reverberate through the food web, impacting various species, including falcons, indirectly.