Empty forest

[4] Predatory large mammals are important for increasing overall biodiversity by making sure that smaller predators and herbivores do not become overabundant and dominate.

Another example of an indirect means of the defaunation of large mammals is through the by-products of modern human activities such as mercury and smoke, or even noise pollution.

The large mammals in an area are often represented by only a few species, but make up a major part of the overall biomass.

In areas with only moderate hunting, the biomass of mammalian game species decreases by 80.7%.

In areas with heavy hunting, the biomass of mammalian game species can decrease by 93.7%.