Predators and herbivores are not different in broad ecological context. Submit your view in this regard. Mention any 3 ecological services rendered through predation. Why in nature the predators are said to be prudent?

Dear student, In the ecological context, herbivores can be considered as predators as they eat plants which are living organisms. Predators play a very important role in our ecosystem. They act as conduits for energy transfer from plants to higher trophic levels. They keep the prey populations under control. If predators were absent, the prey species would reach high population densities leading to instability in the ecosystem. Also, if an exotic species is introduced into a new land (geographical area), they become invasive and start spreading fast as their natural predators are absent in the new land. Predators also help in the biological control of the pest population in the agricultural sector. They help maintain species diversity by reducing the intensity of competition among the prey population. Therefore, predators are very important in our biodiversity-rich ecosystem. Predators are called prudent because they eat the prey population in a manner that the prey population continues to survive and is not overexploited.It is necessary for the survival of predator population because in absence of preys they will also get extinct sooner or later. It has been observed that predators prudently eat those preys which have a high probability of dying from other causes like illness. But, some scientists suggest that prudency of predators is just because the prey have adapted so well to escape that only lesser fit individuals are eaten. Regards