A First Indication That Rainforest Vine Proliferation Does Not Enhance Predator–Prey Interactions on the Forest Floor

Tropical rainforests are globally threatened ecosystems where habitat disturbance and structural changes are often assumed to reduce ecosystem function, yet their impacts on ground‐level predator–prey interactions remain poorly understood. Invertebrate predators, particularly ground‐active taxa such as ants and beetles, play a key role in regulating herbivores and promoting plant productivity. This study examined ground predation rates and predator types using artificial caterpillars and a ratio of vines (primarily lianas and rattans) to trees as a proxy of disturbance in rainforests of north Queensland, Australia. Overall, predation rates were similar along the disturbance gradient; that is, vine‐to‐tree ratio was not related to predation. However, modelling predatory taxa separately revealed nuanced patterns: predation by small mammals decreased with increasing rattan stem density and ant abundance, but increased with coarse woody debris, while predation by arthropods declined with increasing litter depth. Our findings highlight the role of specific habitat features on the forest floor in influencing ground‐level predation in a tropical rainforest, revealing that spatial scale and foraging strategies shape trophic interactions and ecosystem function.