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Australia's Anthropogenic Ecology; Rewilding, Introduction of New Species, Etc
Topic Started: Mar 5 2015, 03:57 AM (1,903 Views)
Cape Leopard
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As we all know, Australia's ecology has been forever transformed by mankind, and it will not be possible to restore Australia to what it once was due to its megafauna having died out long ago and introduced species firmly established.

The purpose of this topic is threefold:

1) to explore what you could/would do to manage Australia's ecology (rewilding, fire management, etc)

2) to speculate on the possible (positive) effects of the introduction of various species (especially if self-introduced) on Australia's ecology

3) to speculate what Australia's ecology will be like in the future - think speculative evolution

There've been various threads on this forum that touch on these subjects but which do not have these as their main topic, for example the 'Ultimate Predator' thread touched on the possible effects caracals would have in Australia.

To kickstart this thread and get it going, I'll ask a question - do you think that it's desirable to introduce Tasmanian devils to the mainland? What consequences would a (re)introduction like this have?
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Mesopredator
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I am all for the introduction of the Tasmenian devil on the mainland. It seems like they could overpower foxes on carcasses. They could use the carrion provided by dingos like some species do with wolf kills. They might even benefit from the numerous rabbits, using them as prey.

What I wonder about Australia is what the effect of cervids (=deer) will be on kangeroos. Can these co-exist?
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maker
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The dingo fence and rabbit fence should be dismantled, as setting fences that cross a large part of a continent is simply unacceptable, and dingoes are vulnerable anyway and can suppress mesopredators, the fences also block other animals, but dingoes can negatively impact sheep economy greatly, so I'm not sure how to regulate that while also regulating dingoes.
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Cape Leopard
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Mesopredator, that would depend on the species' ecological niche. I recall hearing that kangaroos are mostly grazers. If this is the case, and if the cervid species in question is mainly a browser, I don't see why they should not co-exist. It also depends on the habitat and terrain. Rock-wallabies would probably survive ok in an area with cervids, as the cervids currently in Australia are not adapted to rocky terrain (unlike goats for example).

Maker, a solution might be to set guard animals (llamas and donkeys) with sheep, as these would be effective against canids. Another solution would be to manage the sheep differently, eg actively placing them in an enclosed pen at night instead of just allowing them to wander about in the open on the farm. A third solution is to switch from sheep to other livestock.
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Mesopredator
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In Europe there is a fund I think (too sloth to look it up), so when a wolf kills sheep the farmers get money. And I thought that a wolf with a history of sheep killing is killed.

I know that rock-wallabies are outcompeted by feral goats. Or so they say.
Edited by Mesopredator, Mar 6 2015, 01:52 AM.
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Cape Leopard
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Yes, such a system is practiced in North America and various African countries as well.

It should definitely be in place for the time when we introduce Tasmanian devils - and/or Komodo dragons to the mainland as part of rewilding effects.
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Mesopredator
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I understand that rabbits cause trouble, but I thought this was a bit creepy:

http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2015/03/04/science-finds-new-weapon-bunny-battle/?utm_content=bufferbe745&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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Ceph
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I sure hope they know what they are doing. I suppose extreme steps are called for under extreme circumstances. I would hate for this virus to expand to other continents where rabbits are indigenous, or worse mutate to effect other wildlife. Last thing Australia needs is a Zombie Rabbit Apocalypse!
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Creeper
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Mar 6 2015, 11:17 PM
Last thing Australia needs is a Zombie Rabbit Apocalypse!
I need the screen play on my desk Monday!
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Cape Leopard
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Rabbits in Iberia are suffering with myxamatosis - should we translocate some Australian rabbits to boost the Iberian population?

Conversely, could we introduce Iberian Lynx to Australia as an ex situ conservation measure? Much of the climate is suitable and Iberian Lynxes could have some effect on feral cats and foxes through ecological competition.
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Mesopredator
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Cape Leopard
Mar 7 2015, 03:34 AM
Rabbits in Iberia are suffering with myxamatosis - should we translocate some Australian rabbits to boost the Iberian population?

Conversely, could we introduce Iberian Lynx to Australia as an ex situ conservation measure? Much of the climate is suitable and Iberian Lynxes could have some effect on feral cats and foxes through ecological competition.
Australian rabbits to Iberia is a good idea. (Who knows, maybe the Australian rabbits might even outcompete the Iberian rabbits. While I doubt it, this is what happened to the Harlequin ladybug - so I've heard. These ladybugs were introduced to Europe, and the descendants of those in Europe went back to their native range where they outcompete their local kinds.)

I don't think the Iberian lynx will ever make it into Australia, nor do I see good reasons for it. Introducing the Tasmanian devil is good, perhaps even the ora. I personally think laissez-faire should be practiced. Given the time the rabbits and other introduced species could become naturalized and integrated into the ecosystem and food web. I do not know if all the native species can live alongside the introduced species, but it seems that some of the introduced species, I would think the rabbits, are there to stay. Rabbits are already part of the food web as several native species prey on them.

Of course Australians and New Zealanders still believe they can restore the historical ecosystems, and perhaps partly it can. But I think it is somewhat hypocritical as most of Australians and New Zealanders themselves are immigrants and the habitat has been heavily modified by them. Not sure if that counts as an argument, but I think they should accept the fact that it can't be fully restored to its former state, only partly. To quote Ariel Lugo, a forest-service ecologist:

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"My parents and their parents saw one Puerto Rico," he says, "and I am going to see another Puerto Rico, and my children will see another."
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Cape Leopard
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Yes, for better and for worse, the rabbit, and by extension the feral cat and fox (since those two predators have spread with and depend on the rabbit as a staple of their diets) are there to stay, and complete eradication is not feasible with such fecund and rapidly reproducing animals (unlike large creatures which reproduce more slowly).

Heck, people seem to struggle to even contain large herbivores such as pigs, brumbies, camels, etc. Seeing as Australia has already been transformed by man and is in a sense an artificial ecosystem, I do not see any particular reason why we should not introduce a large predator to help manage the populations of these megaherbivores, as dingoes mostly hunt smaller prey and don't seem to be regular pack hunters except on occasion with some of the larger kangaroo species. I haven't found any real or convincing evidence that dingoes regularly prey on the likes of water buffalo, etc, only claims. So what we need is a predator large enough that it will focus mainly on large prey - in other words, herbivores introduced by man.

Of course the livestock industry will complain, but they already are complaining about the dingo and are the same as their counterparts elsewhere in the world. In addition, the livestock industry contributes to the degrdation of Australia's ecosystem in the first place with their millions of sheep and cattle, which overgraze fragile areas and cause severe erosion.

The large predator would not be introduced onto rangeland but in non-farming areas where feral herbivores are a problem. There, a semblance of a more functional ecosystem will be able to play itself out - see the concept of 'ecological fitting' - and through the "ecology of fear" and reduction in numbers, the problems caused by feral herbivores can be mitigated at much lower cost.
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Mesopredator
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Quote:
 
Yes, for better and for worse, the rabbit, and by extension the feral cat and fox (since those two predators have spread with and depend on the rabbit as a staple of their diets) are there to stay, and complete eradication is not feasible with such fecund and rapidly reproducing animals (unlike large creatures which reproduce more slowly).


Indeed. While the camels, brumbies etc. could perhaps be eradicated, it is highly unlikely that the rabbit, fox and feral cat will. It is impractical. So it is better to look at the future.

Quote:
 
The large predator would not be introduced onto rangeland but in non-farming areas where feral herbivores are a problem. There, a semblance of a more functional ecosystem will be able to play itself out - see the concept of 'ecological fitting' - and through the "ecology of fear" and reduction in numbers, the problems caused by feral herbivores can be mitigated at much lower cost.


But what predator? We wouldn't want a predator that starts to prey on mostly kangeroos. And makes them endangered.
Edited by Mesopredator, Mar 8 2015, 11:32 PM.
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Cape Leopard
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Some would argue that kangaroos, especially reds, are overpopulated in any case - they have to be culled annually.

But I agree, we wouldn't want a predator to prey on kangaroos to the point where they are as endangered as the bilby or quokka or what have you. A big cat, while a suitable predator for the likes of camels, horses, cattle, etc, would probably be overkill as I am not sure a large kangaroo would recognise one as dangerous. Perhaps spotted hyenas, as they are long-distance coursers that run down their prey, and thanks to their prior exposure to dingoes kangaroos may be equipped to deal with such a threat; and spotted hyenas do prey regularly on large animals and not small creatures as such.

If we crossed the dingo with dogs of large and/or fleet-footed breeds (e.g. borzoi, etc), we could have a larger animal that would be better able to kill larger prey. The issue with this approach is of course the dingo's genetic purity and its unique status as a special lineage separated from domestic dogs (though both may be derived from the same ancestor).

As it is, Australians are trying to control these alien herbivores via various techniques with little success ... so perhaps it is time for some very radical thinking; Australia's ecology is already messed up, and the mitigation measures are not really working (as far as i know). So tigers, spotted hyenas, large wolves, komodo dragons ... we may need creatures like them that will have an interest in whacking the big herbivores, and for free.

Australia ecologically is between a rock and a hard place; there are no good solutions for its crisis which started over 40,000 years ago with the arrival of humans.
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Mesopredator
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Perhaps we need to stop thinking non-native and native, but ecologically fitting and ecologically non-fitting. The non-fitting would be species without co-evolution that could result in species extinction.

For it to work it should be done in controlled, fenced areas, study the ecological results over a period of time. The spotted hyena seems to be the best species to me for Australia, as it is unlikely for this species to prey on smaller species (which seem to be the most vulnerable in Australia) - except turtles I think.

The problem I have with large felines is their ability to grappling, which would be "ecologically novel". The hyena is more like the dingo. Dholes are another possibility.
Edited by Mesopredator, Mar 10 2015, 02:57 AM.
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