Trophic Cascades
Indirect effects that propagate down the food chain when top predator populations change. Removing predators can trigger dramatic ecosystem-wide changes through multiple links.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 7 chapters:
"... Book 8: Ecosystem Orchestration How to think about entire markets as living systems. Keystone species (companies that hold ecosystems together), trophic cascades (how changes at one level ripple through entire systems), succession, invasive species, island biogeography - these aren't just ecology concepts."
"...em scale: What happens when dozens or hundreds of organizations interact? How do keystone species (TSMC, Stripe, AWS) shape entire ecosystems? How do trophic cascades (wolves → elk → rivers) propagate through business networks? How do pioneer species colonize new markets, and how do ecosystems mature toward climax ..."
"But salmon are the mechanism connecting ocean nutrients to forest growth. Keystone species create trophic cascades: effects that propagate through multiple levels of an ecosystem. Salmon → predators → nutrient dispersal → tree growth → forest canopy → understory..."
"...ons within compartments and sparse connections between. This reduces cascade risk - extinction within one compartment doesn't propagate to others. Trophic cascades: Removing top predators triggers cascades - prey populations explode, overgrazing vegetation, destabilizing ecosystems."
"...62. - Analysis of when ecological redundancy provides resilience and when species are truly irreplaceable. Ripple, W.J., & Beschta, R.L. (2012). Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction. Biological Conservation, 145(1), 205-213. - Case study of keystone species lacking fu..."
And 2 more chapters...
Biological Context
Removing wolves from Yellowstone allowed elk to overgraze riverbanks, causing erosion and stream degradation. Wolf reintroduction reversed these changes. Sea otter removal allowed urchins to destroy kelp forests. Trophic cascades reveal hidden ecological connections.
Business Application
Market trophic cascades: removing a dominant competitor can trigger unexpected changes throughout the value chain. The effects of antitrust action or market leader failure cascade through suppliers, customers, and complementors.