Enemy Impact Hypothesis

Pronunciation
/EN-uh-mee IM-pakt HYPOTH-eh-sis/
Category
Ecological Interactions

Definition

The hypothesis that the presence and abundance of natural enemies can have a significant impact on the population dynamics of pest species.

Etymology

From 'enemy' (referring to natural enemies) and 'impact hypothesis', which emphasizes the effect of these enemies on pest populations.

Example

The enemy impact hypothesis predicts that introducing predatory insects to a field will reduce the population density of pest insects.

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