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Trickle down theory works in the wild sometimes. Apex predators eat only a fraction of kills and the rest is eaten by a chain of feeders down to bacteria. Especially true in the ocean. When orcas kill a whale, they only grab a few bites before carcass sinks to bottom-feeders.
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There's an implication of this that's under emphasized: Apex predators are more vulnerable than their prey populations. What happens when, say, 1/2 the land deer live on is developed - that much less food? Deer pop. goes to 1/3. Wolves go to 0. They die disproportionately.
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this is an pretty myopic and linear cherrypicking of ecology tbh. put into larger context there is really nothing trickle down about it. for one thing “apex” predators / multicellular beings entire existence is founded on microorganisms in myriad ways. hierarchy is perspectival