IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Tumenta, P.N. | |
| A lion population under threat - understanding lion ecology and human-lion interactions related to livestock predation in Waza National Park, Cameroon | |
| 2012 Full Book | |
Top predators play an integral role in maintaining rich ecosystem because they are regulators of food webs (Beschta & Ripple, 2009; Letnic et al., 2009; Fraser, 2009; Miller et al., 2001). Recent knowledge on natural processes that maintain biodiversity suggests that top predators have a crucial and irreplaceable role (Terborgh et al., 2001). The absence of top predators appears to alter the structure of entire ecosystems, resulting in simplification of ecosystem linkages, shifts in habitat and extinction of species (Terborgh et al., 2001). Top predators generally occur in low densities and range widely (Schaller, 1976) to meet their ecological needs. For these reasons they are considered umbrella species. Their conservation is not only relevant for the species themselves but it also promotes the protection of natural biological systems upon which many other species depend (Johnson et al., 2007; Estes et al., 2011). Commonly known as kings of the African savannah, lions (Panthera leo) are the largest of the African top predators. They are a symbol of power and have great traditional and cultural value, as reported in Kenya (Maddox, 2003) and Benin (Sogbohossou, 2004). Lions are keystone species and as such are ecological indicators for wild |
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