Imagine that an ecosystem contains rabbits, foxes, wolves, and deer, the following predator prey relationship exist
- Rabbits are preyed upon by foxes and wolves
- Foxes are preyed upon by wolves
- Wolves are apex predators and do not have any natural predators
- Deer are not preyed upon by any of the other animals, but they can compete with rabbits for vegetation as a food source.
This ecosystem is an example of a food chain where the rabbits are the primary consumers, the foxes and wolves are the secondary and tertiary consumers respectively, and the deer are considered herbivores. The apex predator status of the wolves means that they have a significant impact on the entire ecosystem as they regulate the populations of the other animals and prevent any of them from becoming too numerous and depleting the available resources. This system is also considered a balance because each animal's population is necessary to maintain the overall health and sustainability of the ecosystem.