PREDATION
Predation is the biological process by which a predator consumes another organism, known as the prey. Predation is an important part of population control in all ecosystems, and Badlands National Park is no exception. If the predator population grows too large, then the size of the prey population could decrease, and that species could eventually become extinct. On the other hand, if the predator population shrinks, then the death rate of the prey population would decrease, and the prey population would grow overall. If they prey population becomes too large, then their food resources will quickly become depleted, and the prey species will become extinct. If the prey population increases, the predator population will also increase due to a larger food source. If the prey population decreases, the predator population will also decrease due to limited food resources. Often times, predators and their prey coevolve as part of an evolutionary arms race.