On the role of trade offs in predator prey interactions Predation drives coexistence evolution and population dynamics of species in food webs and has strong impacts on related ecosystem functions (e.g. primary production). The effect of predation on these processes largely depends on the trade offs between functional traits in the predator and prey community. Trade offs between defence against predation and competitive ability for example allow for prey speciation and predator mediated coexistence of prey species with different strategies (defended or competitive) which may stabilize the overall food web dynamics. While the importance of such trade offs for coexistence is widely known we lack an understanding and the empirical evidence of how the variety of differently shaped trade offs at multiple trophic levels affect biodiversity trait adaptation and biomass dynamics in food webs. Such mechanistic understanding is crucial for predictions and management decisions that aim to maintain biodiversity and the capability of communities to adapt to environmental change ensuring their ...