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Newsome T, Cairncross R, Cunningham CX, Spencer EE, Barton PS, Ripple WJ, Wirsing AJ. Scavenging with invasive species. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:562-581. [PMID: 38148253 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Carrion acts as a hotspot of animal activity within many ecosystems globally, attracting scavengers that rely on this food source. However, many scavengers are invasive species whose impacts on scavenging food webs and ecosystem processes linked to decomposition are poorly understood. Here, we use Australia as a case study to review the extent of scavenging by invasive species that have colonised the continent since European settlement, identify the factors that influence their use of carcasses, and highlight the lesser-known ecological effects of invasive scavengers. From 44 published studies we identified six invasive species from 48 vertebrates and four main groups of arthropods (beetles, flies, ants and wasps) that scavenge. Invasive red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), feral pigs (Sus scrofa), black rats (Rattus rattus) and feral cats (Felis catus) were ranked as highly common vertebrate scavengers. Invasive European wasps (Vespula germanica) are also common scavengers where they occur. We found that the diversity of native vertebrate scavengers is lower when the proportion of invasive scavengers is higher. We highlight that the presence of large (apex) native vertebrate scavengers can decrease rates of scavenging by invasive species, but that invasive scavengers can monopolise carcass resources, outcompete native scavengers, predate other species around carcass resources and even facilitate invasion meltdowns that affect other species and ecological processes including altered decomposition rates and nutrient cycling. Such effects are likely to be widespread where invasive scavengers occur and suggest a need to determine whether excessive or readily available carcass loads are facilitating or exacerbating the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Newsome
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Rhys Cairncross
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Calum X Cunningham
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, College of the Environment, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195-2100, USA
| | - Emma E Spencer
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Philip S Barton
- School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, 3216, Australia
| | - William J Ripple
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Aaron J Wirsing
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, College of the Environment, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195-2100, USA
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2
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Beer MA, Proft KM, Veillet A, Kozakiewicz CP, Hamilton DG, Hamede R, McCallum H, Hohenlohe PA, Burridge CP, Margres MJ, Jones ME, Storfer A. Disease-driven top predator decline affects mesopredator population genomic structure. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:293-303. [PMID: 38191839 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02265-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Top predator declines are pervasive and often have dramatic effects on ecological communities via changes in food web dynamics, but their evolutionary consequences are virtually unknown. Tasmania's top terrestrial predator, the Tasmanian devil, is declining due to a lethal transmissible cancer. Spotted-tailed quolls benefit via mesopredator release, and they alter their behaviour and resource use concomitant with devil declines and increased disease duration. Here, using a landscape community genomics framework to identify environmental drivers of population genomic structure and signatures of selection, we show that these biotic factors are consistently among the top variables explaining genomic structure of the quoll. Landscape resistance negatively correlates with devil density, suggesting that devil declines will increase quoll genetic subdivision over time, despite no change in quoll densities detected by camera trap studies. Devil density also contributes to signatures of selection in the quoll genome, including genes associated with muscle development and locomotion. Our results provide some of the first evidence of the evolutionary impacts of competition between a top predator and a mesopredator species in the context of a trophic cascade. As top predator declines are increasing globally, our framework can serve as a model for future studies of evolutionary impacts of altered ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Beer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Kirstin M Proft
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Anne Veillet
- Hilo Core Genomics Facility, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Christopher P Kozakiewicz
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - David G Hamilton
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- CANECEV, Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer, Montpellier, France
| | - Hamish McCallum
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul A Hohenlohe
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | | | - Mark J Margres
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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3
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Hutchinson DJ, Jones EM, Pay JM, Clarke JR, Lohr MT, Hampton JO. Further investigation of lead exposure as a potential threatening process for a scavenging marsupial species. Aust Vet J 2023; 101:313-319. [PMID: 37311719 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing recognition of the harmful effects of lead exposure on avian and mammalian scavengers. This can lead to both lethal and non-lethal effects which may negatively impact wildlife populations. Our objective was to assess medium-term lead exposure in wild Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). Frozen liver samples (n = 41), opportunistically collected in 2017-2022, were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine liver lead concentrations. These results were then used to calculate the proportion of animals with elevated lead levels (>5 mg/kg dry weight) and examine the role of explanatory variables that may have influenced the results. The majority of samples analysed were from the south-east corner of Tasmania, within 50 km of Hobart. No Tasmanian devil samples were found to have elevated lead levels. The median liver lead concentration was 0.17 mg/kg (range 0.05-1.32 mg/kg). Female devils were found to have significantly higher liver lead concentrations than males (P = 0.013), which was likely related to lactation, but other variables (age, location, body mass) were not significant. These results suggest that wild Tasmanian devil populations currently show minimal medium-term evidence of exposure to lead pollution, although samples were concentrated in peri-urban areas. The results provide a baseline level which can be used to assess the impact of any future changes in lead use in Tasmania. Furthermore, these data can be used as a comparison for lead exposure studies in other mammalian scavengers, including other carnivorous marsupial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Hutchinson
- Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | - E M Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia
| | - J M Pay
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia
| | - J R Clarke
- Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG), Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - M T Lohr
- School of Science, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
- SLR Consulting, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J O Hampton
- Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
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4
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Fielding MW, Cunningham CX, Buettel JC, Stojanovic D, Yates LA, Jones ME, Brook BW. Dominant carnivore loss benefits native avian and invasive mammalian scavengers. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220521. [PMID: 36285494 PMCID: PMC9597402 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Scavenging by large carnivores is integral for ecosystem functioning by limiting the build-up of carrion and facilitating widespread energy flows. However, top carnivores have declined across the world, triggering trophic shifts within ecosystems. Here, we compare findings from previous work on predator decline against areas with recent native mammalian carnivore loss. Specifically, we investigate top-down control on utilization of experimentally placed carcasses by two mesoscavengers—the invasive feral cat and native forest raven. Ravens profited most from carnivore loss, scavenging for five times longer in the absence of native mammalian carnivores. Cats scavenged on half of all carcasses in the region without dominant native carnivores. This was eight times more than in areas where other carnivores were at high densities. All carcasses persisted longer than the three-week monitoring period in the absence of native mammalian carnivores, while in areas with high carnivore abundance, all carcasses were fully consumed. Our results reveal that top-carnivore loss amplifies impacts associated with carnivore decline—increased carcass persistence and carrion access for smaller scavengers. This suggests that even at low densities, native mammalian carnivores can fulfil their ecological functions, demonstrating the significance of global carnivore conservation and supporting management approaches, such as trophic rewilding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Fielding
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Calum X. Cunningham
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Jessie C. Buettel
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Luke A. Yates
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Barry W. Brook
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7001, Australia
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5
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Duneau D, Buchon N. Gut cancer increases the risk of Drosophila being preyed upon by hunting spiders. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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6
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Twining JP, Lawton C, White A, Sheehy E, Hobson K, Montgomery WI, Lambin X. Restoring vertebrate predator populations can provide landscape-scale biological control of established invasive vertebrates: Insights from pine marten recovery in Europe. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5368-5384. [PMID: 35706099 PMCID: PMC9542606 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species pose one of the greatest global threats to biodiversity. There has been a long history of importing coevolved natural enemies to act as biological control agents to try to suppress densities of invasive species, with historically limited success and frequent adverse impacts on native biodiversity. Our understanding of the processes and drivers of successful biological control has been focussed on invertebrates and is evidently limited and potentially ill-suited with respect to biological control of vertebrate populations. The restoration of native vertebrate predator populations provides a promising nature-based solution for slowing, halting, or even reversing the spread of some invasive vertebrates over spatial scales relevant to the management of wildlife populations. Here, we first review the growing literature and data from the pine marten-red and grey squirrel system in Europe. We synthesise a multi-decadal dataset to show that the recovery of a native predator has resulted in rapid, landscape-scale declines of an established invasive species. We then use the model system, predator-prey interaction theory, and examples from the literature to develop ecological theory relating to natural biological control in vertebrates and evolutionary processes in native-invasive predator-prey interactions. We find support for the hypotheses that evolutionary naivety of invasive species to native predators and lack of local refuges results in higher predation of naive compared to coevolved prey. We apply lessons learnt from the marten-squirrel model system to examine the plausibility of specific native predator solutions to some of the Earth's most devastating invasive vertebrates. Given the evidence, we conclude that depletion of vertebrate predator populations has increased ecosystem vulnerability to invasions and thus facilitated the spread of invasive species. Therefore, restoration of vertebrate predator populations is an underappreciated, fundamental, nature-based solution to the crisis of invasive species and should be a priority for vertebrate invasive species management globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P. Twining
- Department of Natural ResourcesCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
- School of Biological SciencesQueen's UniversityBelfastUK
| | - Colin Lawton
- School of Natural Sciences, Ryan InstituteNational University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Andy White
- Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Department of MathematicsHeriot‐Watt UniversityEdinburghUK
| | - Emma Sheehy
- School of Natural Sciences, Ryan InstituteNational University of Ireland GalwayGalwayIreland
| | - Keziah Hobson
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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7
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Selonen V, Brommer JE, Holopainen S, Kauhala K, Krüger H, Poutanen J, Väänänen VM, Laaksonen T. Invasive species control with apex predators: increasing presence of wolves is associated with reduced occurrence of the alien raccoon dog. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02850-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe role of an alien predator in the community depends on its interaction with native predators. The absence of apex predators may facilitate outbreaks of invasive mesopredators, but the effect of apex predators may vary between species and environments. We analysed the occurrence of a common invasive mesopredator in Europe, the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and native mesopredators, the red fox and the Eurasian badger, in camera-trap data from Finland. The observations in cameras were analysed in relation to the presence of apex predators in the landscape (grey wolf and Eurasian lynx), human density, and habitat. We observed negative effect of increasing presence of wolves and lynxes on the occurrence of raccoon dogs. This effect appeared clear compared to the effects of habitat and human density. The effect of lynxes on raccoon dogs was clearer in areas with short growth season. For the occurrence of badgers, the presence of wolves had a weak negative effect and the presence of lynxes had a positive effect. For the occurrence of red foxes, wolves had a positive effect when agricultural fields were sparse in the landscape and lynxes had no effect. We also observed that the invasive raccoon dog currently appears to be the most common mesopredator within the study area. We conclude that the effect of apex predators on mesopredators depends on the environment and, in our case, was more suppressive on the alien mesopredator than on the native mesopredators. Thus, apex predators can play an important role in controlling invasive mesopredators.
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8
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Rendall AR, Sutherland DR, Cooke R, White JG. Does the foraging ecology of feral cats change after the eradication of foxes? Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02718-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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9
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Lewis AC, Hughes C, Rogers TL. Effects of intraspecific competition and body mass on diet specialization in a mammalian scavenger. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8338. [PMID: 35126999 PMCID: PMC8794717 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals that rely extensively on scavenging rather than hunting must exploit resources that are inherently patchy, dangerous, or subject to competition. Though it may be expected that scavengers should therefore form opportunistic feeding habits in order to survive, a broad species diet may mask specialization occurring at an individual level. To test this, we used stable isotope analysis to analyze the degree of specialization in the diet of the Tasmanian devil, one of few mammalian species to develop adaptations for scavenging. We found that the majority of individuals were dietary specialists, indicating that they fed within a narrow trophic niche despite their varied diet as a species. Even in competitive populations, only small individuals could be classified as true trophic generalists; larger animals in those populations were trophic specialists. In populations with reduced levels of competition, all individuals were capable of being trophic specialists. Heavier individuals showed a greater degree of trophic specialization, suggesting either that mass is an important driver of diet choice or that trophic specialization is an efficient foraging strategy allowing greater mass gain. Devils may be unique among scavenging mammals in the extent to which they can specialize their diets, having been released from the competitive pressure of larger carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Lewis
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
- The Carnivore ConservancyUlverstoneTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Channing Hughes
- The Carnivore ConservancyUlverstoneTasmaniaAustralia
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Tracey L. Rogers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
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10
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Jones ME, Bain GC, Hamer RP, Proft KM, Gardiner RZ, Dixon KJ, Kittipalawattanapol K, Zepeda de Alba AL, Ranyard CE, Munks SA, Barmuta LA, Burridge CP, Johnson CN, Davidson NJ. Research supporting restoration aiming to make a fragmented landscape ‘functional’ for native wildlife. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/emr.12504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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11
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The fox who cried wolf: A keywords and literature trend analysis on the phenomenon of mesopredator release. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2021.100963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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12
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Vuorinen KEM, Oksanen T, Oksanen L, Vuorisalo T, Speed JDM. Why don't all species overexploit? OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katariina E. M. Vuorinen
- Dept of Natural History, NTNU Univ. Museum, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Tarja Oksanen
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT, The Arctic Univ. of Norway, Campus Alta Alta Norway
- Dept of Biology, Ecology Section, Univ. of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Lauri Oksanen
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT, The Arctic Univ. of Norway, Campus Alta Alta Norway
- Dept of Biology, Ecology Section, Univ. of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Timo Vuorisalo
- Dept of Biology, Ecology Section, Univ. of Turku Turku Finland
| | - James D. M. Speed
- Dept of Natural History, NTNU Univ. Museum, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
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13
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Lazenby BT, Mooney NJ, Dickman CR. Raiders of the last ark: the impacts of feral cats on small mammals in Tasmanian forest ecosystems. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02362. [PMID: 33899303 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Feral individuals of the cat Felis catus are recognized internationally as a threat to biodiversity. Open, non-insular systems support a large proportion of the world's biodiversity, but the population-level impacts of feral cats in these systems are rarely elucidated. This limits prioritization and assessment of the effectiveness of management interventions. We quantified the predatory impact of feral cats on small mammals in open, non-insular forest systems in Tasmania, Australia in the context of other factors hypothesized to affect small mammal densities and survival, namely the density of a native carnivore, co-occurring small mammals, and rainfall. Change in feral cat density was the most important determinant of small mammal density and survival. We calculated that, on average, a 50% reduction in feral cat density could result in 25% and 10% increases in the density of the swamp rat Rattus lutreolus and long-tailed mouse Pseudomys higginsi, respectively. Low-level culling of feral cats that we conducted on two of our four study sites to experimentally alter feral cat densities revealed that swamp rat survival was highest when feral cat densities were stable. We conclude that feral cats exert downward pressure on populations of indigenous small mammals in temperate forest systems. However, alleviating this downward pressure on prey by culling a large proportion of the feral cat population is difficult as current methods for reducing feral cat populations in cool temperate forest systems are ineffective, and potentially even counterproductive. We suggest using an adaptive approach that regularly and robustly monitors how feral cats and small mammals respond to management interventions that are intended to conserve vulnerable prey species.
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Affiliation(s)
- B T Lazenby
- Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, 134 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - N J Mooney
- Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Dunn Place, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - C R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
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14
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Miranda EBP, Peres CA, Downs CT. Landowner perceptions of livestock predation: implications for persecution of an Amazonian apex predator. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. B. P. Miranda
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
| | - C. A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
- Instituto Juruá Manaus Brazil
| | - C. T. Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg South Africa
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15
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Fardell LL, Young LI, Pavey CR, Dickman CR. Habitat use by wandering pet cats ( Felis catus) in a patchy urban environment. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Pet cats (Felis catus) often have negative effects on wildlife. This is of growing concern in urban areas as these are increasingly becoming hotspots of native wildlife activity, and as the human population increases, so too does the pet cat population. To maintain biodiversity in urban areas, further knowledge on pet cat behaviour and impacts is required so that management strategies for pet cats are well informed and have public and government support. Here, we offer insights into the wandering activity of pet cats in a patchy urban—heavily vegetated landscape on the east coast of Australia. Our estimated pet cat movement ranges were generally larger than those previously observed in similar landscapes, as well as in more urbanized and rural habitats. Using GPS data loggers, we found that pet cats did not utilize vegetated spaces more than urban areas, nor did they prefer them relative to their availability. Half of our study cats selected urban habitats, whilst the other half displayed no selection or a slight preference for vegetated spaces; these cats had fewer barriers to overcome to reach them. We did not observe any large differences in movements or habitat use between day and night, but displacement distances and preference for vegetated space habitat were marginally lower at night. All pet cats monitored spent most of their time outside their houses. As both urban and vegetated spaces in patchy urban landscapes provide habitat for native wildlife, pet cat activity across both habitat types requires management action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren L Fardell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Lauren I Young
- Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, Northern Territory Government, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0870, Australia
| | - Chris R Pavey
- CSIRO, Land and Water, PMB 44, Winnellie, Northern Territory 0822, Australia
| | - Christopher R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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16
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Waggershauser CN, Ruffino L, Kortland K, Lambin X. Lethal interactions among forest-grouse predators are numerous, motivated by hunger and carcasses, and their impacts determined by the demographic value of the victims. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7164-7186. [PMID: 34188804 PMCID: PMC8216895 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
New vertebrate communities are emerging in Europe following the recovery of multiple native predators to highly anthropized landscapes where predator control is still prevalent. While the lack of reference points for these communities creates novel challenges for conservationists and wildlife managers, they also provide opportunities to further our understanding of species interactions. Despite a growing body of evidence, many aspects of interactions among predators remain poorly understood, impairing our ability to anticipate the effects of such changes in predator communities. Through a systematic literature review, we gathered all the available evidence concerning the existence, strength, and demographic impacts of lethal predator interactions among forest-grouse predators in Europe. We found a highly interconnected predator community, with 44 pairwise lethal interactions among 12 taxa. Three of these resulted in some degree of population suppression of the victim, while another three did not. However, most interactions (38) have not been evaluated for population suppression. Additionally, we highlight how predators interact simultaneously with a large range of other predators and identified at least two further taxa possibly suppressed through the combined impacts of multiple predators. We propose that interactions causing demographic suppression are characterized by impacts on individuals with high survival elasticity and that they are motivated by food limitation and additionally, in mammals, by competition for carcasses. Predator interactions, and our still poor understanding of them, introduce large uncertainties to conservation actions based on the management of predator abundances, which should be carefully evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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17
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Cunningham CX, Comte S, McCallum H, Hamilton DG, Hamede R, Storfer A, Hollings T, Ruiz-Aravena M, Kerlin DH, Brook BW, Hocking G, Jones ME. Quantifying 25 years of disease-caused declines in Tasmanian devil populations: host density drives spatial pathogen spread. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:958-969. [PMID: 33638597 PMCID: PMC9844790 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are strong drivers of wildlife population dynamics, however, empirical analyses from the early stages of pathogen emergence are rare. Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), discovered in 1996, provides the opportunity to study an epizootic from its inception. We use a pattern-oriented diffusion simulation to model the spatial spread of DFTD across the species' range and quantify population effects by jointly modelling multiple streams of data spanning 35 years. We estimate the wild devil population peaked at 53 000 in 1996, less than half of previous estimates. DFTD spread rapidly through high-density areas, with spread velocity slowing in areas of low host densities. By 2020, DFTD occupied >90% of the species' range, causing 82% declines in local densities and reducing the total population to 16 900. Encouragingly, our model forecasts the population decline should level-off within the next decade, supporting conservation management focused on facilitating evolution of resistance and tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calum X. Cunningham
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia,Correspondence: ;
| | - Sebastien Comte
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia,Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, 1447 Forest Road, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
| | - Hamish McCallum
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia
| | - David G. Hamilton
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia,CANECEV – Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le cancer (CREEC), Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA
| | - Tracey Hollings
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia
| | - Manuel Ruiz-Aravena
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Douglas H. Kerlin
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia
| | - Barry W. Brook
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Greg Hocking
- Game Services Tasmania, Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, TAS, PO Box 44, Hobart 7001, Australia
| | - Manna E. Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
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18
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Patchett AL, Tovar C, Blackburn NB, Woods GM, Lyons AB. Mesenchymal plasticity of devil facial tumour cells during in vivo vaccine and immunotherapy trials. Immunol Cell Biol 2021; 99:711-723. [PMID: 33667023 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Immune evasion is critical to the growth and survival of cancer cells. This is especially pertinent to transmissible cancers, which evade immune detection across genetically diverse hosts. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened by the emergence of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), comprising two transmissible cancers (DFT1 and DFT2). The development of effective prophylactic vaccines and therapies against DFTD has been restricted by an incomplete understanding of how allogeneic DFT1 and DFT2 cells maintain immune evasion upon activation of tumour-specific immune responses. In this study, we used RNA sequencing to examine tumours from three experimental DFT1 cases. Two devils received a vaccine prior to inoculation with live DFT1 cells, providing an opportunity to explore changes to DFT1 cancers under immune pressure. Analysis of DFT1 in the non-immunised devil revealed a 'myelinating Schwann cell' phenotype, reflecting both natural DFT1 cancers and the DFT1 cell line used for the experimental challenge. Comparatively, immunised devils exhibited a 'dedifferentiated mesenchymal' DFT1 phenotype. A third 'immune-enriched' phenotype, characterised by increased PDL1 and CTLA-4 expression, was detected in a DFT1 tumour that arose after immunotherapy. In response to immune pressure, mesenchymal plasticity and upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules are used by human cancers to evade immune responses. Similar mechanisms are associated with immune evasion by DFTD cancers, providing novel insights that will inform modification of DFTD vaccines. As DFT1 and DFT2 are clonal cancers transmitted across genetically distinct hosts, the Tasmanian devil provides a 'natural' disease model for more broadly exploring these immune evasion mechanisms in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Patchett
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Cesar Tovar
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Blackburn
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Gregory M Woods
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - A Bruce Lyons
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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