Sympatric prey responses to lethal top-predator control: predator manipulation experiments

摘要: Introduction: Many prey species around the world are suffering declines due to a variety of interacting causes such as land use change, climate invasive and novel disease. Recent studies on ecological roles top-predators have suggested that lethal top-predator control by humans (typically undertaken protect livestock or managed game from predation) is an indirect additional cause through trophic cascade effects. Such prompted calls prohibit with expectation doing so will result in widespread benefits for biodiversity at all levels. However, applied experiments investigating situ responses populations contemporary management practices few none previously been conducted eclectic suite native exotic mammalian, reptilian, avian amphibian predator taxa we simultaneously assess. We series landscape-scale, multi-year, manipulative nine sites spanning five ecosystem types across Australian continental rangelands investigate sympatric poison-baiting programs intended (dingoes) protection. Results: Prey were almost always similar greater abundances baited areas. Short-term baiting seldom apparent. Longer-term population trends fluctuated independently every sites, divergence convergence occurred rarely. Top-predator indep endently cases, never did diverge converge. Mesopredator likewise but converge instances. Conclusions: These results demonstrate fauna lower levels typically unaffected because not substantially affected practices, thus averting cascade. conclude alteration current probably unnecessary enhancing recovery rangelands. More generally, our suggest theoretical observational advancing idea induces cascades may be universal supposed.