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A native apex predator limits an invasive mesopredator and protects native prey: Tasmanian devils protecting bandicoots from cats
Citation
Cunningham, CX and Johnson, CN and Jones, ME, A native apex predator limits an invasive mesopredator and protects native prey: Tasmanian devils protecting bandicoots from cats, Ecology Letters, 23, (4) pp. 711-721. ISSN 1461-0248 (2020) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: [A native apex predator limits an invasive mesopredator and protects native prey: Tasmanian devils protecting bandicoots from cats], which has been published in final form at doi: 10.1111/ele.13473. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions
Abstract
Apex predators can limit the abundance and behaviour of mesopredators, thereby reducing 29 predation on smaller species. We know less about whether native apex predators are effective in 30 suppressing invasive mesopredators, a major global driver of vertebrate extinctions. We use the 31 severe disease-induced decline of an apex predator, the Tasmanian devil, to test whether devils limit 32 abundance of invasive feral cats and in turn protect smaller native prey. Cat abundance was ∼58% 33 higher where devils had declined, which in turn negatively affected a smaller native prey species. 34 Devils had a stronger limiting effect on cats than on a native mesopredator, suggesting apex 35 predators may have stronger suppressive effects on evolutionarily naive species than coevolved 36 species. Our results highlight that apex predators not only regulate native species but can also 37 confer resistance to the impacts of invasive populations. Apex predators could therefore be a 38 powerful but underutilised tool to prevent biodiversity loss.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Tasmanian devil, apex predator, disease, evolutionary naivete, feral cat, invasive species, mesopredator release, structural equation modelling, trophic cascade, quoll, conservation |
| Research Division: | Environmental Sciences |
| Research Group: | Environmental management |
| Research Field: | Conservation and biodiversity |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Terrestrial systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Terrestrial biodiversity |
| UTAS Author: | Cunningham, CX (Mr Calum Cunningham) |
| UTAS Author: | Johnson, CN (Professor Christopher Johnson) |
| UTAS Author: | Jones, ME (Professor Menna Jones) |
| ID Code: | 136800 |
| Year Published: | 2020 |
| Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (DP110103069) |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 3 |
| Deposited By: | Zoology |
| Deposited On: | 2020-01-17 |
| Last Modified: | 2020-03-11 |
| Downloads: | 14 View Download Statistics |
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