The role of habitat in predator-prey dynamics with applications to restoration

Habitat is a powerful force in ecosystems, and the quantity and quality of habitat can shape ecosystem structure and function. Among the many important roles that habitat plays is as a mediator of ecological interactions, including predator-prey dynamics. In the context of ecosystem restoration, there is great potential to better understand how predator-prey dynamics are influenced by habitat and whether this has implications for how ecosystems are managed. We consider the ways in which habitat serves as an important mediator of interactions between predators and their prey and present four ways in which habitat acts as an intermediary that enhances or diminishes this relationship. We found that habitat provides refuge from predators and shapes the physical traits of prey as they use their surroundings to protect themselves. We also discuss how habitat creates physical resistance and sets the cost of predation for predators and how habitat facilitates apparent competition within a community context. These roles of habitat are well established in ecology, but we believe they are underdeveloped from an applied perspective. We conclude that habitat must be appropriately considered in the context of how it mediates predation. Given the ways that habitat influences predation, restoration efforts should consider if and how physical measures may positively or negatively affect species interactions and whether this could lead to success or failure of overall programs.