What Happens When Predators Disappear?

If the earth had no predators, then the rest of the animals would live without fear, and flourish in their own ways, right? It's happened in real life, with an accidental experiment in Venezuela. Lost predators mess with every layer of the ecosystem underneath them, including plants and insects, in what is called a "trophic cascade." Venezuela is not the only place where this lesson has been learned. Another real-world experiment revealed the massive effects only after predators were re-introduced, when wolves were returned to Yellowstone National Park. The effects become more notable the longer the experiment continues. (via Geeks Are Sexy)