Ecology of fear (concept)

Ecology of fear is a concept that talks about how animals can feel scared or afraid because of the possible predators around them. Just like when you’re scared of a big dog, animals can also feel scared when there are bigger or stronger animals around them.

When animals feel scared, they tend to change their habits or behavior to avoid the predators. They may change the time they go out to look for food, or they may stay in one place for a long time, so they won’t be noticed by predators.

The ecology of fear can also have an impact on the environment. When predators scare their prey, the prey will start to move and travel to different places, which can affect the behavior of other animals and plants in the area. For example, if a group of herbivores starts to move to a new area because of predators, they may eat all the plants in that area, affecting the plant’s growth and other animals that depend on those plants for food.

In conclusion, the ecology of fear talks about how predators can scare their prey, causing changes in behavior and environment.