Interactions between two naturalised invasive predators in Australia: are feral cats suppressed by dingoes?

摘要: Top-predators can play important roles in terrestrial food webs, fuelling speculation that top-predators might be used as biocontrol tools against invasive mesopredators. Feral cats are believed to largely responsible for the current declines of native fauna across tropical northern Australia, where substantial beef cattle production occurs. Dingoes known impact there and predicted also. However, dingoes forecasted curtail impacts reverse declines. We review (1) empirical studies investigating relationships between cats, dingo control (2) records cat remains diets, (3) historical lethal using 1080-poisoned baits Australia 1999 2008 show how two naturalised species interact dynamic agro-ecological landscapes. From 35 assessed, most reported no detectable relationship cats; negative or positive were seldom detected. do not appear exclude beyond fine scales, but may alter activity periods under certain conditions. Cat found only 0.63 % over 31,000 diet records. Lethal occurs (in varying degrees) about two-thirds does substantially influence dingo-cat relationships. conclude presently available data provides little evidence bolstering populations will reduce cats. Much more work is needed identify situations effective mesopredators systems.