This is how we know the series of indirect and amplified effects exerted by animals at the top of the food chain on organisms at the lower levels. Until a few years ago it was thought that large predators did not affect biodiversity too much due to their small numbers.
Today, however, we know that they not only produce changes in the behavior of their prey, but also decisively influence smaller predators. This, in turn, increases the number of smaller herbivores , resulting in a decrease in plant biomass. Trophic waterfalls are especially well documented in aquatic ecosystems.
