The Role of Feral House Mice in Ecosystem Functioning on Marion Island

摘要: The chief prey of feral house mice on Marion Island is larvae the flightless moth Pringleophaga marioni Viette (Tineidae), which constitute about 50% their diet throughout year. litter-dwelling, detritivorous take more than 2 years to mature, during time they process (i.e. fragment, ingest and excrete) large quantities litter. At an annual mean biomass 9.3 kg ha−1, individual consumption rate approximately 0.6 × own mass in litter daily, P. are estimated at least 1500 t annually Island’s vegetated coastal plain (all results expressed as dry mass). facilitate release nutrients from plant through feeding activity resultant enhancement microbial decay. Mice remove daily 65 g ha−1 or 0.7% standing crop island’s plain. indirect effect mouse predation, removal a proportion decomposer subsequent impediment nutrient mineralization, has implications for functioning subsystem terrestrial ecosystem. Since appear be dynamic even stable equilibrium, direct impact predation may eclipsed by these detrimental effects cycling.