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Mike Letnic - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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geographic hot spots of Dingo genetic ancestry in southeastern australia despite hybridisation with domestic dogs
Conservation Genetics, 2020Co-Authors: Kylie M. Cairns, Mike Letnic, Bradley J Nesbitt, Shawn W Laffan, Mathew S. CrowtherAbstract:Hybridisation resulting from human-driven shifts in species ranges is a global conservation concern. In Australia, hybridisation between Dingoes (Canis Dingo) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) has been identified as an extinction threat to the Dingo, and is thought to be particularly widespread in south-eastern Australia. Here, we investigated the extent of hybridisation between Dingoes and dogs in a sample of 783 wild-caught canids from eastern New South Wales, using an established 23-microsatellite test. We then mapped the distribution of these samples and identified three areas that are geographic hotspots of high Dingo genetic ancestry using geospatial analysis. Between 9 and 23% of the wild canids that we sampled were classified as only having or likely to have only Dingo ancestry. Only 0.6% of the wild canids we sampled were classified as having no Dingo ancestry. Introgression from domestic dogs into the southeastern Dingo gene pool has been extensive, with 76–88% of sampled Dingoes carrying some dog ancestry. Spatial analyses revealed several geographic hotspots of high Dingo genetic ancestry within north-eastern New South Wales (NSW) where there was a higher than expected prevalence of Dingoes with no domestic dog ancestry. A key finding of our study is the observation of several regions where Dingoes were largely free of admixture from dogs. There is an ongoing need for evidence-based strategies to reduce human-driven hybridisation by identifying and maintaining natural barriers to reproduction or limiting opportunities for wild-domesticate hybridisation. Globally, legislators and land managers may need to consider less restrictive species definitions to conserve endangered or ecologically significant taxa.
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Top-down effects of a large mammalian carnivore in arid Australia extend to epigeic arthropod assemblages
Journal of Arid Environments, 2019Co-Authors: Peter Contos, Mike LetnicAbstract:Abstract We compared abundances of terrestrial vertebrate insectivores, the rate of insectivory and composition of epigeic arthropod assemblages where an apex predator the Dingo was common and rare on either side of the Dingo Barrier Fence (DBF) in Australia's Strzelecki Desert. Previous research in the region shows that suppression of Dingoes initiates trophic cascades between Dingoes-red foxes-small mammals and woody shrubs and between Dingoes-kangaroos and grasses. Results show that terrestrial insectivores were more abundant and the rate of insectivory indexed as the rate of consumption of experimentally provisioned meal-worms was greater where Dingoes were common. Overall abundance, diversity and taxon richness of arthropods was unaffected by Dingo status. However, there were distinct differences in the composition of arthropod assemblages across the DBF. Scolopendridae, Acrididae and Lepismatidae were more abundant where Dingoes were rare, while Tenebrionidae and Blattidae were more abundant where Dingoes were common. Our results lend support to the idea that suppression of Dingo populations can trigger ≥4 link trophic cascades that extend to arthropod assemblages. We hypothesize that Dingo suppression engenders shifts in arthropod assemblages due to a decrease in the intensity of insectivory, changes in habitat structure and alteration of the predatory and competitive interactions between arthropod taxa.
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Taxonomic status of the Australian Dingo : the case for Canis Dingo Meyer, 1793
Zootaxa, 2019Co-Authors: Bradley P. Smith, Mike Letnic, Eloïse C. Déaux, Thomas M. Newsome, Melanie Fillios, William C. H. Parr, Kylie M. Cairns, Justin W. Adams, Lily M. Van Eeden, Robert G. ApplebyAbstract:The taxonomic status and systematic nomenclature of the Australian Dingo remain contentious, resulting in decades of inconsistent applications in the scientific literature and in policy. Prompted b ...
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Interactions between Dingoes and introduced wild ungulates: concepts, evidence and knowledge gaps
Australian Mammalogy, 2019Co-Authors: David M. Forsyth, Mike Letnic, A. David M. Latham, Naomi E. Davis, Peter Caley, Paul D. Moloney, Luke Woodford, Andrew P. WoolnoughAbstract:The Dingo (Canis Dingo or C. familiaris, including hybrids with feral dogs) is the apex carnivore on mainland Australia. Fifteen non-native ungulate species have established wild populations in Australia. Dingoes are managed to reduce impacts on domestic ungulates, and introduced wild ungulates are managed to reduce impacts on natural ecosystems and to minimise competition with domestic ungulates. There is speculation about the extent to which (1) Dingoes limit the abundances of introduced wild ungulates, and (2) introduced wild ungulates sustain Dingo populations. We reviewed the literature to identify potential ecological interactions between Dingoes and introduced wild ungulates, and to synthesise evidence for interactions between Dingoes and each ungulate species (including the percentage frequency occurrence (%FO) of ungulates in Dingo diets). Eleven of the 15 ungulate species were recorded in the diet of Dingoes, with the highest %FO occurrences reported for feral goats (73%) and cattle (60%). Two studies concluded that Dingoes reduced ungulate abundances (feral goat (Capra hircus) and feral donkey (Equus asinus)), and two studies concluded that Dingoes did not regulate feral pig (Sus scrofa) abundances. A fifth study concluded that Dingoes exhibited a Type III functional response to increasing sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) abundances. A sixth study concluded that Dingoes made relatively little use of hunter-shot sambar deer carcasses. We propose that interactions between Dingoes and introduced wild ungulates depend on the sex–age classes vulnerable to Dingo predation, Dingo pack sizes, the availability of escape terrain for ungulates and the availability of alternative foods for Dingoes. The interplay between environmental conditions and the population growth rate of ungulates, and hence their ability to sustain losses from predation, could also be important. We predict that Dingoes will have most impact on the abundance of smaller ungulate species and neonates.
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Cranial Shape and the Modularity of Hybridization in Dingoes and Dogs; Hybridization Does Not Spell the End for Native Morphology
Evolutionary Biology, 2016Co-Authors: William C. H. Parr, Laura A. B. Wilson, Mathew S. Crowther, Stephen Wroe, Nicholas J. Colman, Mike LetnicAbstract:Australia’s native wild dog, the Dingo ( Canis Dingo ), is threatened by hybridization with feral or domestic dogs. In this study we provide the first comprehensive three dimensional geometric morphometric evaluation of cranial shape for Dingoes, dogs and their hybrids. We introduce a novel framework to assess whether modularity facilitates, or constrains, cranial shape change in hybridization. Our results show that hybrid and pure Dingo morphology overlaps greatly, meaning that hybrids cannot be reliably distinguished from Dingoes on the basis of cranial metrics. We find that Dingo morphology is resistant, with observed hybrids exhibiting morphology closer to the Dingo than to the parent group dog. We also find that that hybridization with dog breeds does not push the Dingo cranial morphology towards the wolf phenotype. Disparity and integration analyses on the ten recovered modules provided empirical support for modularity facilitating shape change over short evolutionary time scales. However, our results show that this is may not be the case in hybridization events, which were not influenced by module integration or disparity levels. We conclude that although hybridization events may introduce breed dog DNA to the Dingo population, the native cranial morphology, and therefore likely the feeding eco-niche, of the Dingo population is resistant to change. Our results have implications for conservation and management of Dingoes and, more broadly, for the influence of integration patterns over ecological time scales in relation to selection pressure.
Christopher N. Johnson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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resolving the value of the Dingo in ecological restoration
Restoration Ecology, 2015Co-Authors: Thomas M. Newsome, Mathew S. Crowther, Peter J. S. Fleming, Guy Ballard, Justin A Dellinger, Alistair S Glen, Aaron C Greenville, Christopher N. JohnsonAbstract:There is global interest in restoring populations of apex predators, both to conserve them and to harness their ecological services. In Australia, reintroduction of Dingoes (Canis Dingo) has been proposed to help restore degraded rangelands. This proposal is based on theories and the results of studies suggesting that Dingoes can suppress populations of prey (especially medium- and large-sized herbivores) and invasive predators such as red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) that prey on threatened native species. However, the idea of Dingo reintroduction has met opposition, especially from scientists who query the Dingo's positive effects for some species or in some environments. Here, we ask ‘what is a feasible experimental design for assessing the role of Dingoes in ecological restoration?’ We outline and propose a Dingo reintroduction experiment—one that draws upon the existing Dingo-proof fence—and identify an area suitable for this (Sturt National Park, western New South Wales). Although challenging, this initiative would test whether Dingoes can help restore Australia's rangeland biodiversity, and potentially provide proof-of-concept for apex predator reintroductions globally.
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effects of predator control on behaviour of an apex predator and indirect consequences for mesopredator suppression
Journal of Applied Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Leila A Brook, Christopher N. Johnson, Euan G RitchieAbstract:1. Apex predators can benefit ecosystems through top–down control of mesopredators and herbivores. However, apex predators are often subject to lethal control aimed at minimizing attacks on livestock. Lethal control can affect both the abundance and behaviour of apex predators. These changes could in turn influence the abundance and behaviour of mesopredators. 2. We used remote camera surveys at nine pairs of large Australian rangeland properties, comparing properties that controlled Dingoes Canis lupus Dingo with properties that did not, to test the effects of predator control on Dingo activity and to evaluate the responses of a mesopredator, the feral cat Felis catus. 3. Indices of Dingo abundance were generally reduced on properties that practiced Dingo control, in comparison with paired properties that did not, although the effect size of control was variable. Dingoes in uncontrolled populations were crepuscular, similar to major prey. In populations subject to control, Dingoes became less active around dusk, and activity was concentrated in the period shortly before dawn. 4. Shifts in feral cat abundance indices between properties with and without Dingo control were inversely related to corresponding shifts in indices of Dingo abundance. There was also a negative relationship between predator visitation rates at individual camera stations, suggesting cats avoided areas where Dingoes were locally common. Reduced activity by Dingoes at dusk was associated with higher activity of cats at dusk. 5. Our results suggest that effective Dingo control not only leads to higher abundance of feral cats, but allows them to optimize hunting behaviour when Dingoes are less active. This double effect could amplify the impacts of Dingo control on prey species selected by cats. In areas managed for conservation, stable Dingo populations may thus contribute to management objectives by restricting feral cat access to prey populations. 6. Synthesis and applications. Predator control not only reduces indices of apex predator abundance but can also modify their behaviour. Hence, indicators other than abundance, such as behavioural patterns, should be considered when estimating a predator's capacity to effectively interact with lower trophic guilds. Changes to apex predator behaviour may relax limitations on the behaviour of mesopredators, providing enhanced access to resources and prey.
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developing a national framework for Dingo trophic regulation research in australia outcomes of a national workshop
Ecological Management and Restoration, 2009Co-Authors: Renee L Visser, James E M Watson, Chris R Dickman, Rick Southgate, David Jenkins, Christopher N. JohnsonAbstract:There has been speculation about whether the Dingo (Canis lupus Dingo) plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem function through top-down trophic regulation. The lack of focused research prompted the organization of a workshop attended by Dingo researchers and managers from across Australia in October 2005 (Dickman et al. 2006). Workshop attendees recognized the benefits of improving both the strategic direction and integration of research ideas and results. This led to a second workshop: Towards a National Agenda for Dingo Trophic Regulation Research, held on the 26th November, 2007 in Perth, Western Australia. Attendees sought to develop a framework, based on Visser (2007) and outlined here, for Dingo research in Australia to ensure that future experiments address gaps in our knowledge and minimize repetition among studies.
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A national framework for research on trophic regulation by the Dingo in Australia
Pacific Conservation Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Renee L Visser, James E M Watson, Chris R Dickman, Rick Southgate, David Jenkins, Christopher N. JohnsonAbstract:There is increasing evidence that the Dingo Canis lupus Dingo plays an important ecological role as a trophic regulator in Australian ecosystems. However, there is sufficient remaining uncertainty about the nature of this role as to hinder the development of effective management policies. This review defines strategic directions for future research on the trophic role of Dingoes by developing a national Dingo research framework. The framework aims to increase our knowledge of the influence that Dingoes have on the maintenance of biodiversity, thereby encouraging Dingo conservation and the refinement of current land-use practices. The framework begins by identifying four major bioclimatic zones across Australia that pose different questions and challenges for Dingo research. For each zone we construct a model that identifies major interactions between Dingoes and key prey or competitor species, and then used the models to identify key research needs, the possible advantages of maintaining Dingo populations within each zone, and ways to tease out unstudied interactions. Important questions identified in the review include the effects of Dingoes on native marsupial populations, vegetation communities, herbivore diets, the use of structural refugia by mesopredators, predator and prey behaviour, and the effect of habitat modification on these interactions. We briefly review legislative constraints and other factors, such as the ongoing hybridization of Dingo populations with domestic dog breeds, that may impede future studies. If research activities follow this framework, we believe that policy and management will be better informed, benefiting both the Dingo and the natural ecosystems and production systems where it occurs.
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causes of extinction of vertebrates during the holocene of mainland australia arrival of the Dingo or human impact
The Holocene, 2003Co-Authors: Christopher N. Johnson, Stephen WroeAbstract:The arrival of the Dingo in mainland Australia is believed to have caused the extinction of three native vertebrates: the thylacine, the Tasmanian devil and the Tasmanian native hen. The Dingo is implicated in these extinctions because, while these three species disappeared during the late Holocene of mainland Aus- tralia in the presence of the Dingo, they persisted in Tasmania in its absence. Moreover, the Dingo might plausibly have competed with the thylacine and devil, and preyed on the native hen. However, another variable is similarly correlated with these extinctions: there is evidence for an increase in the human population on the mainland that gathered pace about 4000 years ago and was associated with innovations in hunting technology and more intensive use of resources. These changes may have combined to put increased hunting pressure on large vertebrates, and to reduce population size of many species that were hunted by people on the mainland. We suggest that these changes, which were quite dramatic on mainland Australia but were muted or absent in Tasmania, could have led to the mainland extinctions of the thylacine, devil and hen.
Maciej Henneberg - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Reconstructing body mass of the Australian Dingo (Canis Dingo) from two simple measurements of the hard palate
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019Co-Authors: Teghan Lucas, Bradley P. Smith, Rachel M. Norris, Maciej HennebergAbstract:Abstract The ability to determine body mass from skulls is valuable for understanding various ecological, physiological, and evolutionary factors. In the Canidae, numerous methods to reconstruct body mass from measurements of the skull have been proposed, however there is no one-size fits all approach that can be applied across all species and subspecies. Added to this, current methods of reconstructing body mass are often complex, and have relatively high error rates. We aimed to produce a multivariate regression equation to estimate body mass of the Australian Dingo (Canis Dingo) from simple measurements of the skull, whilst ensuring that it could also be used in studies of encephalisation. To do this, we focussed on palate length (PL), palate width (PW) and the length of the first upper molar (M1). A total of 128 adult Dingo (64 male; 64 female) crania from one region of Australia with known body mass were measured. Overall, the combination of PL and PW was the best predictor of body mass, with M1 having poor predictability. The model, mass (kg) = 0.246 ∗ (PL) + 0.320 ∗ (PW) − 24.757 produced a prediction error of 8.05%. Thus, these two measures of the palate provide simple and accurate predictors of body mass for the Dingo. This will be useful for modern Dingo specimens, as well as those found at archaeological sites and in museum collections that often consist of incomplete cranial material. The reconstruction of Dingo body size is useful for evaluating variation in body mass through time, and across the Australian continent, particularly in the context of human activity.
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Brain size/body weight in the Dingo (Canis Dingo): comparisons with domestic and wild canids
Australian Journal of Zoology, 2017Co-Authors: Bradley P. Smith, Teghan Lucas, Rachel M. Norris, Maciej HennebergAbstract:Endocranial volume was measured in a large sample (n = 128) of free-ranging Dingoes (Canis Dingo) where body size was known. The brain/body size relationship in the Dingoes was compared with populations of wild (Family Canidae) and domestic canids (Canis familiaris). Despite a great deal of variation among wild and domestic canids, the brain/body size of Dingoes forms a tight cluster within the variation of domestic dogs. Like dogs, free-ranging Dingoes have paedomorphic crania; however, Dingoes have a larger brain and are more encephalised than most domestic breeds of dog. The Dingo’s brain/body size relationship was similar to those of other mesopredators (medium-sized predators that typically prey on smaller animals), including the dhole (Cuon alpinus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). These findings have implications for the antiquity and classification of the Dingo, as well as the impact of feralisation on brain size. At the same time, it highlights the difficulty in using brain/body size to distinguish wild and domestic canids.
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brain size body weight in the Dingo canis Dingo comparisons with domestic and wild canids
Australian Journal of Zoology, 2017Co-Authors: Bradley P. Smith, Teghan Lucas, Rachel M. Norris, Maciej HennebergAbstract:Endocranial volume was measured in a large sample (n = 128) of free-ranging Dingoes (Canis Dingo) where body size was known. The brain/body size relationship in the Dingoes was compared with populations of wild (Family Canidae) and domestic canids (Canis familiaris). Despite a great deal of variation among wild and domestic canids, the brain/body size of Dingoes forms a tight cluster within the variation of domestic dogs. Like dogs, free-ranging Dingoes have paedomorphic crania; however, Dingoes have a larger brain and are more encephalised than most domestic breeds of dog. The Dingo’s brain/body size relationship was similar to those of other mesopredators (medium-sized predators that typically prey on smaller animals), including the dhole (Cuon alpinus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). These findings have implications for the antiquity and classification of the Dingo, as well as the impact of feralisation on brain size. At the same time, it highlights the difficulty in using brain/body size to distinguish wild and domestic canids.
David M. Forsyth - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Interactions between Dingoes and introduced wild ungulates: concepts, evidence and knowledge gaps
Australian Mammalogy, 2019Co-Authors: David M. Forsyth, Mike Letnic, A. David M. Latham, Naomi E. Davis, Peter Caley, Paul D. Moloney, Luke Woodford, Andrew P. WoolnoughAbstract:The Dingo (Canis Dingo or C. familiaris, including hybrids with feral dogs) is the apex carnivore on mainland Australia. Fifteen non-native ungulate species have established wild populations in Australia. Dingoes are managed to reduce impacts on domestic ungulates, and introduced wild ungulates are managed to reduce impacts on natural ecosystems and to minimise competition with domestic ungulates. There is speculation about the extent to which (1) Dingoes limit the abundances of introduced wild ungulates, and (2) introduced wild ungulates sustain Dingo populations. We reviewed the literature to identify potential ecological interactions between Dingoes and introduced wild ungulates, and to synthesise evidence for interactions between Dingoes and each ungulate species (including the percentage frequency occurrence (%FO) of ungulates in Dingo diets). Eleven of the 15 ungulate species were recorded in the diet of Dingoes, with the highest %FO occurrences reported for feral goats (73%) and cattle (60%). Two studies concluded that Dingoes reduced ungulate abundances (feral goat (Capra hircus) and feral donkey (Equus asinus)), and two studies concluded that Dingoes did not regulate feral pig (Sus scrofa) abundances. A fifth study concluded that Dingoes exhibited a Type III functional response to increasing sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) abundances. A sixth study concluded that Dingoes made relatively little use of hunter-shot sambar deer carcasses. We propose that interactions between Dingoes and introduced wild ungulates depend on the sex–age classes vulnerable to Dingo predation, Dingo pack sizes, the availability of escape terrain for ungulates and the availability of alternative foods for Dingoes. The interplay between environmental conditions and the population growth rate of ungulates, and hence their ability to sustain losses from predation, could also be important. We predict that Dingoes will have most impact on the abundance of smaller ungulate species and neonates.
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exploitation ecosystems and trophic cascades in non equilibrium systems pasture red kangaroo Dingo interactions in arid australia
Oikos, 2013Co-Authors: David Choquenot, David M. ForsythAbstract:The exploitation ecosystems hypothesis (EEH) proposes that 1) plant biomass reflects the primary productivity of an ecosystem modified by the regulating effect of herbivory, and 2) herbivore abundance reflects the productivity of plants modified by the regulating effect of predation. Primary productivity thus determines the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem and the extent to which bottom–up and top–down regulation influence the biomass ratios of adjacent and non-adjacent trophic levels (i.e. trophic cascading). We constructed an interactive model of plant (pasture), herbivore (red kangaroo Macropus rufus) and predator (Dingo Canis lupus Dingo), a system in which trophic cascades have been suggested to occur, and used it to test the effects of increasing stochastic variation in primary productivity and Dingo culling on predictions of the EEH. The model contained four feedback loops: the predator–herbivore and herbivore–plant feedback loops, and the predator and plant density-dependent feedback loops. The equilibrium conditions along the primary productivity gradient reproduced the three zones of trophic dynamics predicted by the EEH, plus an additional zone at productivities above which the maximum density of a predator is achieved due to social regulation: that zone is characterized by increasing herbivore density and decreasing plant biomass. Culling Dingoes produced trophic cascades that were strongly attenuated at primary productivities below which the maximum density of Dingoes was attained. Results were robust to uncertainty in kangaroo off-take by Dingoes and to the efficacy of Dingo culling, but prey switching by Dingoes from red kangaroos to reptiles would weaken trophic cascades. We conclude that social regulation of carnivores has important implications for expression of the EEH and trophic cascades, and that attenuation of trophic cascades increases with increasing stochasticity in primary productivity. Our model also provides a framework for understanding the conditions in which Dingo-mediated trophic cascades might be expected to occur, and generates testable predictions about the effects of higher Dingo densities (e.g. by stopping culling or reintroduction to former range) on kangaroo and pasture dynamics.
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Exploitation ecosystems and trophic cascades in non‐equilibrium systems: pasture – red kangaroo – Dingo interactions in arid Australia
Oikos, 2013Co-Authors: David Choquenot, David M. ForsythAbstract:The exploitation ecosystems hypothesis (EEH) proposes that 1) plant biomass reflects the primary productivity of an ecosystem modified by the regulating effect of herbivory, and 2) herbivore abundance reflects the productivity of plants modified by the regulating effect of predation. Primary productivity thus determines the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem and the extent to which bottom–up and top–down regulation influence the biomass ratios of adjacent and non-adjacent trophic levels (i.e. trophic cascading). We constructed an interactive model of plant (pasture), herbivore (red kangaroo Macropus rufus) and predator (Dingo Canis lupus Dingo), a system in which trophic cascades have been suggested to occur, and used it to test the effects of increasing stochastic variation in primary productivity and Dingo culling on predictions of the EEH. The model contained four feedback loops: the predator–herbivore and herbivore–plant feedback loops, and the predator and plant density-dependent feedback loops. The equilibrium conditions along the primary productivity gradient reproduced the three zones of trophic dynamics predicted by the EEH, plus an additional zone at productivities above which the maximum density of a predator is achieved due to social regulation: that zone is characterized by increasing herbivore density and decreasing plant biomass. Culling Dingoes produced trophic cascades that were strongly attenuated at primary productivities below which the maximum density of Dingoes was attained. Results were robust to uncertainty in kangaroo off-take by Dingoes and to the efficacy of Dingo culling, but prey switching by Dingoes from red kangaroos to reptiles would weaken trophic cascades. We conclude that social regulation of carnivores has important implications for expression of the EEH and trophic cascades, and that attenuation of trophic cascades increases with increasing stochasticity in primary productivity. Our model also provides a framework for understanding the conditions in which Dingo-mediated trophic cascades might be expected to occur, and generates testable predictions about the effects of higher Dingo densities (e.g. by stopping culling or reintroduction to former range) on kangaroo and pasture dynamics.
Benjamin L. Allen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Dingo baiting did not reduce fetal calf loss in beef cattle in northern south australia
Animal Production Science, 2018Co-Authors: Greg Campbell, Peter J. S. Fleming, Andrew Coffey, Heather Miller, John L Read, Anthony Brook, Peter Bird, Steve Eldridge, Benjamin L. AllenAbstract:Beef cattle production is the major agricultural pursuit in the arid rangelands of Australia. Dingo predation is often considered a significant threat to production in rangeland beef herds, but there is a need for improved understanding of the effects of Dingo baiting on reproductive wastage. We experimentally compared fetal/calf loss on baited and non-baited treatment areas within three northern South Australian beef herds over a 2–4-year period. At re-musters, lactation was used to determine the outcomes of known pregnancies. Potential explanatory factors for fetal/calf loss (Dingo baiting, Dingo activity, summer heat, cow age, seasonal conditions, activity of Dingo prey and selected livestock diseases) were investigated. From 3145 tracked pregnancies, fetal/calf loss averaged 18.6%, with no overall significant effect of baiting. Fetal/calf loss averaged 27.3% for primiparous (first pregnancy) heifers and 16.8% for multiparous (2nd or later calf) cows. On average, Dingo-activity indices were 59.3% lower in baited treatments than in controls, although background site differences in habitat, weather and previous Dingo control could have contributed to these lower indices. The overall scale and timing of fetal/calf loss was not correlated with Dingo activity, time of year, a satellite-derived measure of landscape greenness (normalised difference vegetation index), or activity of alternative Dingo prey. Limited blood testing suggested that successful pregnancy outcomes, especially in primiparous heifers, may have been reduced by the livestock diseases pestivirus and leptospirosis. The percentage occurrence of cattle hair in Dingo scats was higher when seasonal conditions were poorer and alternative prey less common, but lack of association between fetal/calf loss and normalised difference vegetation index suggests that carrion feeding, rather than calf predation, was the more likely cause. Nevertheless, during the fair to excellent prevailing seasons, there were direct observations of calf predation. It is likely that ground baiting, as applied, was ineffective in protecting calves, or that site effects, variable cow age and disease confounded our results.
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A roadmap to meaningful Dingo conservation
2017Co-Authors: Benjamin L. Allen, Stephen M. Jackson, Lee R. Allen, Guy Ballard, Peter J. S. FlemingAbstract:Many top-predators are declining and/or threatened. For these reasons, conservation efforts are a management priority for many species, and structured management processes are developed to facilitate their conservation. However, this is not presently the case for the Dingo, which is threatened by introgression of genetic material from other and more modern dog breeds. There is strong support for Dingo conservation from some sectors, but this support lacks the direction of a formal threat abatement plan. Dingo conservation is actively opposed by other sectors. Here, we evaluate the conservation status of Australian Dingoes in accordance with the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee Guidelines for assessing the conservation status of native species according to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and also the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000. We also use the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) species translocation guidelines to assess the utility of translocation or reintroduction as a suitable conservation action for Dingoes. We further describe five socio-ecological facts about Dingoes influencing their conservation status and management. We show that Dingoes do not meet the criteria for listing under current threatened species legislation in any Australian jurisdiction. We also show that translocation or reintroduction is not a suitable or appropriate conservation action for Dingoes on the Australian mainland at this time, nor will ever be, so long as interbreeding between modern and ancient dogs continues and Dingoes continue to naturally recolonise areas where they are currently rare or absent. The most important barriers to Dingo conservation are (1) continued and inevitable intermixing of modern and Dingo genes, (2) futile efforts from some sectors to have Dingoes redefined as a distinct species, and (3) data indicating progressive numerical and range declines in pure Dingoes. Despite these challenges, we show that internationally-agreed CITES regulations, livestock breed standards, and pet breed standards each already support existing principles to conserve genetic diversity of ancient breeds (such as Dingoes) against the threat of hybridisation. In accordance with these international standards, we propose a set of criteria for categorising the free-roaming dogs of Australia into distinguishable groups, and we outline a roadmap to meaningful Dingo conservation. We conclude that conservation of Dingoes in Australia is warranted, possible and conceptually quick and easy to implement consistent with existing legislation and guidelines. However, this will require acceptance of Dingoes as a uniquely Australian ancient dog breed largely free from modern dog breed genes, followed by implementation of strategies to mitigate the threat of continued interbreeding with modern dogs.
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from den to dust longevity of three Dingoes canis lupus Dingo on fraser island k gari
Australian Mammalogy, 2016Co-Authors: Linda Behrendorff, Benjamin L. AllenAbstract:The Australian Dingo (Canis lupus Dingo) is a common and well studied species, yet very little is known about the longevity of free-ranging individuals because most field studies are too short to obtain this information. Fraser Island, off the east coast of Queensland, contains a closed Dingo population of high conservation value, and where a portion of them have been captured and subsequently monitored using ear tags and microchips for management purposes since 2002. We use these data to describe the longevity of three individual Dingoes, including one female captured, microchipped and ear-tagged as a subadult in February 2003, recaptured and retagged in March 2012, and then found dead in October 2014. Longevity data and other observations demonstrate that wild Dingoes can live for at least 13 years and successfully produce litters for at least 10 years. Such life-history data are useful for evaluating the dynamics and stability of Dingo populations of conservation concern.
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Dingoes at the Doorstep: Home Range Sizes and Activity Patterns of Dingoes and Other Wild Dogs around Urban Areas of North-Eastern Australia
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2016Co-Authors: Alice T. Mcneill, Luke K.-p. Leung, Mark Goullet, Matthew Gentle, Benjamin L. AllenAbstract:Top-predators around the world are becoming increasingly intertwined with humans, sometimes causing conflict and increasing safety risks in urban areas. In Australia, Dingoes and Dingo×domesticdoghybridsarecommoninmanyurbanareas,andposeavarietyofhumanhealth and safety risks. However, data on urban Dingo ecology is scant. We GPS-collared 37 Dingoes in north-easternAustraliaandcontinuouslymonitoredthemeach30minfor11-394days. MostDingoes were nocturnal, with an overall mean home range size of 17.47 km2. Overall mean daily distance travelled was 6.86 km/day. At all times Dingoes were within 1000 m of houses and buildings. Home ranges appeared to be constrained to patches of suitable vegetation fragments within and around human habitation. These data can be used to reallocate Dingo management effort towards mitigating actual conflicts between humans and Dingoes in urban areas.
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From den to dust: longevity of three Dingoes (Canis lupus Dingo) on Fraser Island (K’gari)
Australian Mammalogy, 2016Co-Authors: Linda Behrendorff, Benjamin L. AllenAbstract:The Australian Dingo (Canis lupus Dingo) is a common and well studied species, yet very little is known about the longevity of free-ranging individuals because most field studies are too short to obtain this information. Fraser Island, off the east coast of Queensland, contains a closed Dingo population of high conservation value, and where a portion of them have been captured and subsequently monitored using ear tags and microchips for management purposes since 2002. We use these data to describe the longevity of three individual Dingoes, including one female captured, microchipped and ear-tagged as a subadult in February 2003, recaptured and retagged in March 2012, and then found dead in October 2014. Longevity data and other observations demonstrate that wild Dingoes can live for at least 13 years and successfully produce litters for at least 10 years. Such life-history data are useful for evaluating the dynamics and stability of Dingo populations of conservation concern.