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Interspecific variation in the diet of a native apex predator and invasive mesopredator in an alpine ecosystem
Austral Ecology ( IF 1.5 ) Pub Date : 2022-06-25 , DOI: 10.1111/aec.13214
Eilysh R. Thompson 1 , Don A. Driscoll 1 , Susanna E. Venn 1 , William L. Geary 1 , Euan G. Ritchie 1
Affiliation  

Carnivores have key ecological roles in structuring and regulating ecosystems through their impacts on prey populations. When apex- and meso-predators co-occur in ecosystems, there is the potential for complex interspecific interactions and trophic dynamics that can affect the composition and functioning of ecological communities. Investigating the diet of sympatric carnivores can allow us to better understand their ecological roles (e.g. potential suppression of herbivores) or impacts (e.g. predation of threatened species). Australia's alpine region provides an ideal system in which to explore spatial and temporal variation in predator and prey interactions, using the dingo (Canis dingo) and invasive red fox (Vulpes vulpes) diet. We examined the diet of dingoes and foxes across three different mountains and seasons in Victoria's alpine region, using macroscopic scat analysis. There was little diet overlap between the two carnivores, with foxes having a broader diet than dingoes. Dingoes primarily consumed larger mammal species, including invasive sambar deer (Cervus unicolor, 44%), and the native common wombat (Vombatus ursinus, 34%), whereas foxes typically consumed smaller mammals, including the native bush rat (Rattus fuscipes, 55%), and the invasive European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus, 15%). Dingoes consumed more than thirty times the volume of large invasive mammals (predominantly sambar deer) than did foxes. Foxes consumed close to 15 times as many critical weight range individuals per scat than dingoes. Only one threatened critical weight range mammal species was identified within scats, the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus), found within five fox scats. Our results suggest that the introduction of novel prey may alter predator–predator interactions by causing a reduction in the dietary overlap. Therefore, in the context of integrated wildlife management and biodiversity conservation, any control of novel, invasive prey populations needs to consider possible flow on effects to apex- and meso-predator diets and potential secondary impacts on native prey.

中文翻译:

高山生态系统中原生顶级捕食者和侵入性中捕食者饮食的种间变异

食肉动物通过对猎物种群的影响,在构建和调节生态系统方面发挥着关键的生态作用。当生态系统中同时存在顶级和中型捕食者时,可能会发生复杂的种间相互作用和营养动态,从而影响生态群落的组成和功能。调查同域食肉动物的饮食可以让我们更好地了解它们的生态作用(例如对食草动物的潜在抑制)或影响(例如捕食受威胁物种)。澳大利亚的高山地区提供了一个理想的系统,可以利用野狗 ( Canis dingo ) 和入侵红狐 ( Vulpes vulpes )探索捕食者和猎物相互作用的空间和时间变化) 饮食。我们使用宏观粪便分析检查了维多利亚高山地区三个不同山脉和季节的野狗和狐狸的饮食。两种食肉动物的饮食几乎没有重叠,狐狸的饮食比野狗更广泛。野狗主要食用较大的哺乳动物物种,包括入侵水鹿(Cervus unicolor,44%)和本地普通袋熊(Vombatus ursinus,34%),而狐狸通常食用较小的哺乳动物,包括本地灌木鼠(Rattus fuscipes,55%) ) 和入侵的欧洲兔 ( Oryctolagus cuniculus, 15%)。野狗消耗的大型入侵哺乳动物(主要是水鹿)的体积是狐狸的 30 多倍。狐狸每次粪便消耗的临界体重范围个体的数量是野狗的近 15 倍。在五个狐狸粪便中发现的粪便中仅发现了一种受威胁的临界体重范围哺乳动物物种,即宽齿大鼠 ( Mastacomys fuscus )。我们的研究结果表明,新猎物的引入可能会通过减少饮食重叠来改变捕食者 - 捕食者的相互作用。因此,在综合野生动物管理和生物多样性保护的背景下,对新的入侵猎物种群的任何控制都需要考虑可能对顶级和中型捕食者饮食的影响以及对本地猎物的潜在二次影响。
更新日期:2022-06-25
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