The (non)effects of lethal population control on the diet of Australian dingoes
Article
Article Title | The (non)effects of lethal population control on the diet of Australian dingoes |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 39745 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Allen, Benjamin L. (Author) and Leung, Luke K.-P. (Author) |
Journal Title | PLoS One |
Journal Citation | 9 (9), pp. 1-11 |
Number of Pages | 11 |
Year | 2014 |
Publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0108251 |
Web Address (URL) | http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0108251 |
Abstract | Top-predators contribute to ecosystem resilience, yet individuals or populations are often subject to lethal control to protect livestock, managed game or humans from predation. Such management actions sometimes attract concern that lethal control might affect top-predator function in ways ultimately detrimental to biodiversity conservation. The primary function of a predator is predation, which is often investigated by assessing their diet. We therefore use data on prey remains found in 4,298 Australian dingo scats systematically collected from three arid sites over a four year period to experimentally assess the effects of repeated broad-scale poison-baiting programs on dingo diet. Indices of dingo dietary diversity and similarity were either identical or near-identical in baited and adjacent unbaited treatment areas in each case, demonstrating no control-induced change to dingo diets. Associated studies on dingoes' movement behaviour and interactions with sympatric mesopredators were similarly unaffected by poison-baiting. These results indicate that mid-sized top-predators with flexible and generalist diets (such as dingoes) may be resilient to ongoing and moderate levels of population control without substantial alteration of their diets and other related aspects of their ecological function. |
Keywords | animal behavior; animal food; article; Australia; controlled study; dingo; ecosystem resilience; nonhuman; population dynamics; predation; predator; sympatry; animal; diet; dog; predation; wild animal |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410499. Environmental management not elsewhere classified |
Byline Affiliations | University of Queensland |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q37zy/the-non-effects-of-lethal-population-control-on-the-diet-of-australian-dingoes
Download files
1658
total views108
total downloads2
views this month0
downloads this month