One mountain lion changed the food web in a California suburb, study finds

Nine years of camera trap data from Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (4.9 sq km near Stanford) documented that a single mountain lion visiting the small suburban preserve between 2012–2029 triggered a trophic cascade: coyotes and deer shifted activity patterns, gray foxes expanded into new niches, brush rabbits became more active, and woody plant density increased 64-fold. The finding demonstrates apex predators can reshape ecosystems even in heavily developed landscapes, underscoring the importance of wildlife corridors.

Reminiscent of the trophic cascade at Yellowstone following the reintroduction of gray wolves.