Predator Satiation
Predator Saturation
An adaptation in which prey briefly occur at high population densities which overwhelms and satisfies predators thereby reducing the probability of an individual prey being eaten. The most notable example of this are the periodic cicadas.
Origin
The underlying idea — that prey overwhelm predators through sheer numbers — was discussed in ecological literature as early as the late 1970s by researchers studying periodical cicadas. Kathy S. Williams, Kimberly G. Smith, and Frederick M. Stephen formalized the concept in a 1993 Ecology paper documenting how 13-year cicada emergences saturate predators, allowing most individuals to survive and reproduce.
Everyday Use
We encounter many examples where we are overwhelmed and can't possibly attend to everything, whether a lengthy to-do list or work requests. The trick is to not let there be so many that we lose our balance with the demands on our time. Conversely, we can use the "too many to get them all" mentality to our benefit, when applying to jobs, working to get published, and more generally making returns on our hard work.