Article
Ecology
Erick J. Lundgren, Daniel Ramp, Owen S. Middleton, Eamonn I. F. Wooster, Erik Kusch, Mairin Balisi, William J. Ripple, Chris D. Hasselerharm, Jessica N. Sanchez, Mystyn Mills, Arian D. Wallach
Summary: This study documents the predation of juvenile feral donkeys by cougars in North American deserts, and explores how cougar predation affects donkey behavior and desert wetlands. The findings indicate that cougar predation leads to decreased donkey activity and disturbance, as well as changes in vegetation structure.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Matthew W. Rees, Jack H. Pascoe, Mark Le Pla, Alan Robley, Emma K. Birnbaum, Brendan A. Wintle, Bronwyn A. Hradsky
Summary: This study examines mesopredator release in response to targeted control of dominant predators. The results indicate that feral cat density can increase when red foxes are controlled, highlighting the importance of managing invasive predators in conservation efforts.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anthony R. Rendall, Duncan R. Sutherland, Raylene Cooke, John G. White
Summary: Invasive species control can have unintended consequences on co-occurring species. A study in Australia found that controlling red foxes did not lead to significant changes in the diet of feral cats, with invasive species still dominating their diet. Factors such as seasonality, surrounding land use, and sex can also influence the diet of feral cats. The study suggests that controlling invasive prey could be an effective method to manage the impacts of feral cats.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Heloise Gibb, Colin J. Silvey, Chloe Robinson, Felicity A. L'Hotellier, David J. Eldridge
Summary: Research indicates that the reintroduction of digging mammals may have direct and indirect effects on predatory invertebrates, leading to reductions in bare ground in the ecosystem and changes in predator abundance and composition.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Enrique Martinez-Meyer, Alejandro Gonzalez-Bernal, Julian A. Velasco, Tyson L. Swetnam, Zaira Y. Gonzalez-Saucedo, Jorge Servin, Carlos A. Lopez-Gonzalez, John K. Oakleaf, Stewart Liley, James R. Heffelfinger
Summary: The study aimed to develop an updated distribution model and habitat suitability analysis for the Mexican wolf, with results showing suitable habitat extending from central Arizona and New Mexico to high sierras of Oaxaca, Mexico. Large tracts of high-quality habitat were identified in the southwestern United States and Mexico, indicating potential for recovery within the historical range of the Mexican wolf.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
David A. Roshier, Andrew Carter
Summary: Introduced mammalian predators, such as the European red fox and feral cat in Australia, play a significant role in species decline and extinction. Understanding the spatial distribution and interactions between these predators is crucial for effective management. Studies show that feral cats tend to roam independently while red foxes establish defined territories, leading to different patterns of distribution and interaction in the landscape.
Article
Ecology
Christopher S. S. Moore, Christopher J. J. Baillie, Emily A. A. Edmonds, Rachel K. K. Gittman, April M. H. Blakeslee
Summary: Foundation species like the eastern oyster create complex habitats and restoring oyster reefs requires at least 8 years to resemble the trophic complexity of natural reefs. Parasite diversity increases over time after restoration, and parasite communities in older restored reefs resemble those found in natural reefs. Oyster toadfish act as a key host species capable of facilitating parasite transmission and trophic ascent in oyster reef food webs.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xi Weng, Cuiling Jiang, Menglin Yuan, Manxue Zhang, Tianshan Zeng, Chun Jin
Summary: The construction of estuary sluice has significant negative impacts on the ecological environment, which can be mitigated by an ecologically oriented multi-sluice system operation strategy to meet the diverse environmental flow requirements of different fish species. By predicting effective habitat through modeling and adjusting river discharges, the study aims to maintain the needs of fish for spawning and migration.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Amir Lewin, Joseph J. Erinjery, Doron Nissim, Takuya Iwamura
Summary: Extensive land conversion to agriculture in drylands has wide-ranging impacts on desert ecosystems globally. The provision of agricultural inputs in resource-scarce regions supports invasive and pest species, negatively impacting agricultural productivity and native desert ecosystems. Understanding the spatial dynamics of invasive and pest species requires analyzing bottom-up resource availability factors and top-down biological controls. In this study, the social-ecological cascading effects of dryland agriculture on vertebrate pest communities in Israel were evaluated, showing that crop choices determine pest distributions through bottom-up processes directly, while also driving pest competitive interactions through indirect top-down cascades impacting pest communities.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cyril Scomparin, Caitlan Geale, Christopher N. Johnson, Menna E. Jones
Summary: Controlling invasive predators is crucial for protecting island biodiversity. It is important to understand how other species in the food web respond to control efforts to prevent unintended consequences. A 2-year cat-trapping program on Bruny Island, Tasmania effectively reduced feral cat density, but had no direct impact on native or invasive mammal species abundance or behavior. The presence of cats increased on seabird colonies after the seasonal breeding season, potentially due to increased food supply provided by breeding seabirds.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cyril Scomparin, Caitlan Geale, Christopher N. Johnson, Menna E. Jones
Summary: Controlling invasive predators is crucial for protecting island biodiversity. This study investigates the effectiveness of a cat-trapping program on reducing feral cat density and its potential influence on native and invasive mammal species. The results show that trapping can effectively reduce cat density in a focused landscape context. However, the study found no direct effect of cat reduction on the abundance or behavior of native or invasive mammalian prey species. The study highlights the complexity of subsequent effects of invasive predator control on the broader ecosystem.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jian Zhang, Yicheng Fu, Wenqi Peng, Jinyong Zhao, Hao Chen
Summary: River cascade development has a significant impact on the hydrological and habitat characteristics of the region, particularly on resident fish species. By studying the ecological effects on key fish species in the Yuanjiang River, researchers were able to determine the appropriate ecological flows required for their survival and breeding. This NbS-based approach can greatly improve the ecological restoration of rivers and enhance the habitats for aquatic organisms.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
G. Barry Baker, Steven Candy, Sue Robinson, J. Anthony Friend, Mark Holdsworth, Katrina Jensz, Manda Page, Dave Algar
Summary: The study showed that trained detection dogs can reliably detect feral cat scats in woodland conservation reserves in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia. Results indicated that detection probabilities for scats decreased with distance from the transect line and with an increasing age of the scat.
Article
Agronomy
Jaap van Der Meer, Myriam Callier, Gianna Fabi, Luc van Hoof, J. Rasmus Nielsen, Sasa Raicevich
Summary: The growing global population and awareness of the limitations of modern agriculture have led to an increasing focus on the oceans as a potential source of food. Current marine fish stocks have reached their maximum exploitation, leaving four options to increase marine food production: manipulating food web structures, exploiting unexploited stocks, engaging in low-trophic mariculture, and restoring impoverished coastal ecosystems. This paper discusses these options and highlights the need for scientific knowledge to assess their sustainability, including the biological carrying capacity and broader socio-economic and governance sustainability.
FOOD AND ENERGY SECURITY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Michael E. Egan, Casey C. Day, Todd E. Katzner, Patrick A. Zollner
Summary: The study found that forest cover positively related to occupancy probabilities of coyotes and gray foxes, while urban cover did not impact gray foxes. Additionally, gray fox occupancy was negatively related to the index of the number of coyotes at each site. These models support the idea that interactions with coyotes impact gray fox occupancy across the eastern United States.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hannah B. Cliff, Menna E. Jones, Chris N. Johnson, Roger P. Pech, Bart T. Biemans, Leon A. Barmuta, Grant L. Norbury
Summary: The introduction of mammalian predators in New Zealand threatens the native fauna, and this study suggests that native lizards may be able to recognize the threat posed by invasive mammals. However, the ability to recognize and respond to predators may not be retained over time.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Calum X. Cunningham, George L. W. Perry, David M. J. S. Bowman, David M. Forsyth, Michael M. Driessen, Matt Appleby, Barry W. Brook, Greg Hocking, Jessie C. Buettel, Ben J. French, Rowena Hamer, Sally L. Bryant, Matt Taylor, Riana Gardiner, Kirstin Proft, Vincent P. Scoleri, Antje Chiu-Werner, Toby Travers, Liam Thompson, Tom Guy, Christopher N. Johnson
Summary: The fallow deer population in Tasmania, Australia has remained at low abundance for over a century, but recent indications suggest an increase in both their numbers and distribution. Using spotlight counts from 1985 to 2019, the study shows that fallow deer numbers have increased by 11.5% annually, resulting in a 40-fold increase over this period. The core distribution of the species has also expanded 2.9-fold, covering approximately 27% of Tasmania's land area. Satellite populations have been established in areas where farmed deer have escaped or been released, indicating human facilitation of range expansion. Climate and habitat suitability models predict that 56% of Tasmania is suitable for fallow deer, suggesting that range expansion is likely to continue unless actively managed.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shane D. Morris, Michael R. Kearney, Christopher N. Johnson, Barry W. Brook
Summary: The study examines the potential physiological effects of climate change on the Tasmanian devil during its extinction window in mid-Holocene, finding no widespread negative impacts of climate on the devil's physiology on the mainland. This suggests that cultural and demographic changes in human populations or competition with dingoes may have played a more significant role in the devil's extinction.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
John Llewelyn, Giovanni Strona, Matthew C. McDowell, Christopher N. Johnson, Katharina J. Peters, Daniel B. Stouffer, Sara N. de Visser, Frederik Saltre, Corey J. A. Bradshaw
Summary: Studies suggest that species' vulnerability to bottom-up cascades decreases with increasing trophic level, diet breadth, and basal connections. Extinct species in the Naracoorte community in south-eastern Sahul were more vulnerable to these cascades, as their position in the network made them more susceptible, especially due to their lack of predators. Trophic cascades and naivety to predators potentially played a role in the megafauna extinction event in Sahul.
Article
Zoology
Hugh McGregor, Katherine Moseby, Christopher N. Johnson, Sarah Legge
Summary: The study showed that thermal cameras can more accurately detect small and medium-sized mammals at night. There was a strong relationship between increased detection using thermal cameras and environmental temperature: thermal cameras detected 30% more animals than conventional spotlighting at around 15 degrees Celsius, but produced few additional detections above 30 degrees Celsius.
AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
E. I. L. Y. S. H. R. THOMPSON, D. O. N. A. DRISCOLL, S. U. S. A. N. N. A. E. VENN, W. I. L. L. I. A. M. L. GEARY, E. U. A. N. G. RITCHIE
Summary: Carnivores play crucial ecological roles in ecosystems by impacting prey populations. This study examines the diet of dingoes and foxes in Australia's alpine region to understand their ecological roles and potential impacts. The researchers find that dingoes primarily consume larger mammals while foxes have a broader diet. The introduction of novel prey can alter predator-predator interactions.
Article
Geography, Physical
Matthew C. McDowell, Rolan Eberhard, Tessa R. Smith, Rachel Wood, Barry W. Brook, Christopher N. Johnson
Summary: This study investigated changes in small mammals in Tasmania's forest environments over the past 20,000 years, revealing significant shifts in relative abundance and community composition in response to habitat changes. Despite no loss of species, the dominance of certain species varied from glacial to Holocene periods.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Correction
Biology
Rowena P. Hamer, Riana Z. Gardiner, Kirstin M. Proft, Christopher N. Johnson, Menna E. Jones
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Matthew C. McDowell, Shane D. Morris, Christopher N. Johnson, Brianna Martin, Barry W. Brook
Summary: This study models the changes in the range of the Broad-toothed rat, Mastacomys fuscus, by using fossil, sub-fossil, and contemporary records. It reveals that Mastacomys fuscus had a wider range and occupied more diverse environmental conditions in the recent past compared to its current distribution. The contraction of the species' distribution on mainland Australia to high-elevation areas occurred rapidly and recently. The research emphasizes the importance of utilizing sub-fossil data in understanding the changes in distribution and habitat occupation of threatened species for conservation planning.
Article
Ecology
Alice Michel, Jacob R. Johnson, Richard Szeligowski, Euan G. Ritchie, Andrew Sih
Summary: Fire regimes are changing worldwide, and understanding animal responses to fire is crucial for wildlife conservation and management. This study integrates sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to predict and explain variation in animal responses to approaching fire. The framework considers both fire-naive and fire-adapted animals and follows three key steps: vigilance, cue detection and response. The study discusses the influence of evolutionary history with fire and other selective pressures on animal behavioural responses to fire, and provides guidance for empiricists and potential conservation applications.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
William L. Geary, Ayesha I. T. Tulloch, Euan G. Ritchie, Tim S. Doherty, Dale G. Nimmo, Marika A. Maxwell, Adrian F. Wayne
Summary: Ecosystem management in the face of global change requires understanding how co-occurring threats affect species and communities. Such an understanding allows for effective management strategies to be identified and implemented. An important component of this is differentiating between factors that are within or outside of a local manager's control.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Vincent P. Scoleri, Janeane Ingram, Christopher N. Johnson, Menna E. Jones
Summary: This study investigates the impact of predation by Tasmanian devils on the abundance, habitat use, and temporal activity of the common brushtail possum. The introduction of devils to Maria Island in 2012 resulted in high mortality of possums in grasslands, but those with access to trees had a higher survival probability. The abundance of possums declined across the entire island, with disappearance from grasslands and decline in drier forests. However, wet forests, which provide better refuge from devils, maintained stable possum populations.-possums remained unchanged at a control site on the adjacent Tasmanian mainland.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
William L. Geary, Adrian F. Wayne, Ayesha I. T. Tulloch, Euan G. Ritchie, Marika A. Maxwell, Tim S. Doherty
Summary: This study aimed to understand the factors influencing the association between fox baiting intensity, red fox activity and feral cat activity, to provide insights into the effectiveness of fox baiting in reducing fox activity. The results showed that rainfall in the previous 12 months, prey abundance, and baiting intensity all had impacts on fox activity. There was also a positive association between fox baiting intensity and feral cat activity.
Article
Zoology
Calum X. Cunningham, Zach Aandahl, Menna E. Jones, Rowena Hamer, Christopher N. Johnson
Summary: Eastern quolls in Tasmania have experienced a significant decline in population over the past few decades, with evidence of declines in the early 2000s, mid-1990s, and more recently. The ongoing declines suggest that factors other than unfavorable weather are contributing to the decrease in numbers. Urgent conservation efforts are needed to protect the remaining populations in Tasmania and ensure the long-term survival of the species.
AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Holly Rickards, John L. Read, Chris N. Johnson, Menna E. Jones, Matthew D. Pauza, Joss Bentley, Andry Sculthorpe, Morgan Humphrey, Rowena Hamer
Summary: This study aimed to test the target specificity of the Felixer grooming device in Tasmania. The results showed that the Felixer could successfully differentiate quoll species from feral cats, but could not reliably identify Tasmanian devils and common wombats as non-target species.
