Trouble in paradise: When two species of conservation and cultural value clash, causing a management conundrum
Article
Article Title | Trouble in paradise: When two species of conservation and cultural value clash, causing a management conundrum |
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ERA Journal ID | 200398 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Behrendorff, Linda, King, Rachel and Allen, Benjamin L. |
Journal Title | Ecology and Evolution |
Journal Citation | 13 (11) |
Article Number | e10726 |
Number of Pages | 10 |
Year | 2023 |
Publisher | John Wiley & Sons |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 2045-7758 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10726 |
Web Address (URL) | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.10726 |
Abstract | Threatened species throughout the world are in decline due to various causes. In some cases, predators of conservation or cultural value are causing the decline of threatened prey, presenting a conservation conundrum for managers. We surveyed marine turtle nests on K'gari (formally known as Fraser Island), Australia, to investigate dingo predation of green and loggerhead turtle nests, where each of these species is of conservation value. Our monitoring revealed that 84% of nests were predated by dingoes. Only 16% of nests were not consumed by dingoes, and only 5.7% of nests were confirmed to have successfully hatched. Up to 94% of nests were consumed in some areas, and predation rates were similar across different dingo packs. Information on the available numbers of nests and dingoes in the area indicated that turtle nests alone are sufficient to support extant dingoes over the summer. These results indicate that marine turtle eggs represent a previously unquantified but important food source for dingoes on K'gari, and that turtle nests at this rookery site are under serious threat from dingoes. This research should highlight the importance of prioritising the protection of turtle nests from dingoes or risk losing the entire rookery forever in the near future. |
Keywords | diet; endangered species; Fraser; key threatening process; predation management; threatened species conservation; wildlife management |
Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410299. Ecological applications not elsewhere classified |
Byline Affiliations | University of Queensland |
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Australia | |
School of Mathematics, Physics and Computing | |
Nelson Mandela University, South Africa | |
Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/z5z91/trouble-in-paradise-when-two-species-of-conservation-and-cultural-value-clash-causing-a-management-conundrum
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Ecology and Evolution - 2023 - Behrendorff - Trouble in paradise When two species of conservation and cultural value clash.pdf | ||
License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
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