Terrestrial Mammalian Predator/Prey Systems: Northern Hemisphere Ratios, Species Richness and Species Composition

In the Neoarctic Biogeographic Region, Pre-Columbian terrestrial mammalian ecosystems were re-constructed to approximately 1400 AD* and terrestrial mammalian predator/prey species lists were developed for each macro-community in each biome. Faunal assemblages for the Palearctic Biogeographic Region were re-constructed to approximately 1000 AD and macro-communities associated with the various biomes ranged from Western Europe to eastern Siberia. From these data, it was concluded that: (1) terrestrial mammalian "species richness" increases from north to south in the northern hemisphere, (2) terrestrial mammalian "species composition" changes in all macrocommunities in all biomes and (3) the mean terrestrial mammalian predator/prey ratio remains constant approximating 0.75 in all macro-communities in all the biomes of the Neoarctic and Palearctic Biogeographic Regions and appears to be universal macro-ecological pattern throughout the entire Northern Hemisphere, (4) the evolution of optimal foraging strategies associated with a 0.75 predator/prey ratio represents the mean upper limit of specialization that terrestrial mammalian predators can attain in the northern hemisphere, where prey populations cycle and primary prey availability varies widely. Changes in macro-ecological patterns in the terrestrial mammalian predator/prey systems from the 0.75 ratio in the Northern Hemisphere have implications for conservation biology and wildlife management related to sustaining ecological equilibrium. ---- * Anno Dominu - наша эра