predation pressure

noun

: the effects of predation on a natural community especially with respect to the survival of species preyed upon

Examples of predation pressure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If wolf predation pressure causes beavers stress, Freund will find it. Kris Millgate, Field & Stream, 4 Oct. 2023 In the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic (210–175 million years ago), the combination of biological properties listed above led to an evolutionary cascade in the sauropodomorph lineage characterized by selection for ever larger body size, mainly driven by predation pressure from theropod dinosaurs. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 May 2010 Survival in macaroni penguins and the relative importance of different drivers: individual traits, predation pressure and environmental variability. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2014 Lamprey have always fed many species, and their former abundance took predation pressure off salmon and steelhead. Mckayla Lee, oregonlive, 24 Aug. 2022 The Atlantic species that arrived changed competition and predation pressures on the species in the Arctic. Cathleen O'Grady, Ars Technica, 26 Oct. 2019 This predation pressure, however, has also given prey a steep incentive to hide during bright nights. National Geographic, 6 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predation pressure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of predation pressure was in 1941

Dictionary Entries Near predation pressure

Cite this Entry

“Predation pressure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predation%20pressure. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!