Why is predation important and required in a community with rich biodiversity ? Explain with the help of suitable examples.

Explanation

Predation is an interspecific interaction, where an animal, called predator, kills and consumes the other weaker animal called prey. Predation is nature's way of transferring to higher trophic level the energy fixed by plants, e.g., a tiger ( predator) eating a deer (prey), a sparrow (predator) eating fruit or seed (prey), etc.
Role of predators :
1. Predators keep prey population under control. This is called biological control.
2. Predators also help in maintaining species diversity in a community by reducing the intensity of competition among prey species.
3. Besides acting as 'conduits' for energy transfer across trophic level, predators play other important roles. In absence of predators species, prey species could achieve very high population densities and cause ecosystem instability.