Predation is a major selection process of animals for food. Predators not only prey on small animals—they pray on grazing animals and feed on micro-organisms, too.

Humans and Predation

As predators
Humans are omnivorous (who eats both animal and plant products). They use different tools like fishing gear, firearms, boats and motor vehicles for fishing and hunting. Predatory species like dogs in hunting and fishing were also used by humans. Non-predatory beasts such as horses, camels, and elephants were also used by people for hunting; these predators helped them in getting approaches to prey.
 

Hunting

Humans started maintaining farm houses. In these farm houses they are rearing livestock, poultry, and fish, which will later to be eaten as meat.

Raising and eating livestock is also considered as agriculture. Because it needs proper care and feeding on animals and later they will be killed and cutting up for cooking. Mostly after the reproduction period of animals, the ones not suitable for farming and aged animals are taken up for meat purpose.  Ranchers or fishermen hunt animals or catch fishes and brought them to markets and sold to people who actually buy animals for meat. It is also common among human community.

 
A bird (Predator) Prey on an insect

Human as prey
As lonely human is physically weak they sometimes hunted by big and strong animals for prey. Humans do not have innate weaponry like tearing teeth and long claws. So if a man is caught by any animal without weapons, help from other humans or cleverness, he can easily predated by animals like Lion, wild dogs etc. Man-eater’s are the variety of animal which prey on human.
 

Human as prey

Conservation of predators
Conservation biology is an important part of biology. Conserving predators is very important to maintain the balance of ecosystem. Animal conservation has its crucial role otherwise it may lead to extinction. Adaptation on the environmental changes by the prey species is important. If not prey population would start decreasing. Loss of prey species may lead to coextinction of their predator.

Biological pest control

Pests

Controlling pests in agriculture impact the predator. Natural predators are an environmentally friendly because they picks up the small plant pests for their food. This help for the plant growth which helps for the farmers and it reduce the damage of crops. If all pests are eaten by predator, no need for the farmer to us fertilizer. So not only does he save his money but also saves the environment from pollution.

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Reference Links:

•     http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.31.1.79
•     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predation
•     http://www.yale.edu/ypmip/predation/Chapter_11.pdf
•     http://necsi.edu/projects/evolution/co-evolution/pred-prey/co-evolution_predator.html