Authors: Saneer Lamichhane, Abhinaya Pathak, Aashish Gurung, Ajay Karki, Trishna Rayamajhi, Ambika Prasad Khatiwada, Jeffrey Mintz, Sudip Raj Niroula, Chiranjibi Prasad Pokharel
Abstract: A balanced equilibrium between carnivores and their prey is crucial for maintaining ecosystem sustainability. In this study, we
applied the predator–prey power law equation to assess the balance between the biomass densities of carnivores and their wild
prey within Nepal’s lowland protected areas during 2013, 2018, and 2022. The estimated value of the power law exponent k for
predator–prey biomass was 0.71 (95% CI = 0.39–1.05), indicating an approximate threefold increase in predator biomass density
for every fivefold increase in prey biomass density. Consequently, this creates a systematically bottom-heavy
predator–prey
biomass pyramid. This finding, consistent with the k = 3/4 trophic biomass scaling across ecosystems, suggests that predator
biomass is proportionally sustained by prey biomass, indicating a balance between top predators and their wild prey in Nepal’s
lowland protected areas. We further demonstrated it is possible to retain the overall power law exponent while jointly measuring
intraguild competition between two predators with canonical correlation analysis. This understanding opens avenues for future
research directed toward unraveling the factors that drive these consistent growth patterns in ecological communities.
Journal: Ecology and Evolution