The ecosystem concentrates biomass in neighborhoods, especially wherever pollinator sanctuaries can be found. The downside to our current predicament includes that this concentration makes it easier for predators to pick off the remainder thriving. One racoon can get both a bumblebee and earthworm and so much more. Generally, there’s enough biomass–food–for the racoon that it doesn’t hurt any of the pretty species. Except when you have a population that’s already in decline then can we assume that losing one early is a blow to the species survival?
The native bumblebees in my backyard can survive a puppy rampaging with the zoomies, a late freeze, or a nocturnally scavenging racoon, but all three? The probability of survival goes down when the number of threats go up, even if the likelihood of any one to happen holds steady, which it doesn’t. Late frosts are becoming increasingly problematic for homeowners looking to support deciduous trees, spring ephemerals, and the native ecosystems not entirely tuned to the changing weather schedule.