From microbes to animals: a review on prey choice and prey-predator dynamics across organismal scales.

ABSTRACT: Predator-prey interactions are intricately linked to ecological systems, from micro-organisms to large animals. Most predator-prey studies use simplified pairwise interactions, constraining our ability to identify general principles. Here, predator-prey choices are examined across scales and levels of environmental complexity. We review current knowledge and emphasize the diversity and complexity of predator-prey systems, point to challenges in integrating them, and propose a framework that could benefit predictive modeling for ecosystem functioning and resilience. To do so, we compare the tools, mechanisms, and strategies deployed by micro- and macro- predators and prey defenses to show that commonalities become identifiable, and suggest structural and functional links between micro- and

SUBMITTER: Mitra M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12927660 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature