Bottom-up control

Bottom-up control is a way ecosystems regulate themselves through interactions starting from the smallest components, like plants and insects, and moving upward through animals and other organisms. In this system, the availability of resources such as food, nutrients, or habitat at the lower levels influences population sizes and behaviors of higher-level organisms. For example, abundant plants support more herbivores, which in turn support predators. This process highlights how the foundation of the ecosystem—the producers and resources—dictates the structure and stability of the entire community, emphasizing the importance of resource availability in maintaining ecological balance.