By concentrating nutrients on dens Arctic foxes enhance nutrient cycling as an ecosystem service and thus engineer Arctic ecosystems on local scales. The enhanced productivity in patches on the landscape could subsequently affect plant diversity and the dispersion of herbivores on the tundra.
How do foxes change the ecosystem?
Ecosystem Roles
Red foxes help to control populations of their prey animals, such as rodents and rabbits. They also may disperse seeds by eating fruit.
What would happen if Arctic foxes went extinct?
If the arctic fox became extinct, all of these animals would overpopulate, and have trouble finding enough food. … It will affect the food web because the arctic fox’s predators will have less prey and the arctic fox’s prey will have less predators. Genetic diversity is important for any species or food web.
What do arctic foxes get eaten by?
Why is the arctic fox in danger?
Threats. The scarcity of prey is the most prevalent threat for the Arctic fox. Disease and genetic pollution of the species by foxes bred in captivity also threatens this species.