Top predators as biodiversity regulators: the dingo Canis lupus dingo as a case study

@article{Letnic2012TopPA,
  title={Top predators as biodiversity regulators: the dingo Canis lupus dingo as a case study},
  author={Mike Letnic and Euan G. Ritchie and Chris R. Dickman},
  journal={Biological Reviews},
  year={2012},
  volume={87}
}
Top‐order predators often have positive effects on biological diversity owing to their key functional roles in regulating trophic cascades and other ecological processes. Their loss has been identified as a major factor contributing to the decline of biodiversity in both aquatic and terrestrial systems. Consequently, restoring and maintaining the ecological function of top predators is a critical global imperative. Here we review studies of the ecological effects of the dingo Canis lupus dingo… 
View on Wiley
euanritchie.files.wordpress.com
254 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
6
Background Citations
79
Results Citations
6

254 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

Ecologically functional landscapes and the role of dingoes as trophic regulators in south-eastern Australia and other habitats
TLDR
Research is required to better understand dingoes' indirect effects on ecosystems and the development of dingo management strategies that allow for both the preservation of dingoes and protection of livestock.
Top-predators as biodiversity regulators: Contemporary issues affecting knowledge and management of dingoes in Australia
TLDR
Large predators have an indispensable role in structuring food webs and maintaining ecological processes for the benefit of biodiversity at lower trophic levels and are now considered to be of high conservation value in many parts of the world.
As clear as mud: A critical review of evidence for the ecological roles of Australian dingoes
Changes in desert avifauna associated with the functional extinction of a terrestrial top predator
TLDR
This study provides evidence that the functional extinction of a large terrestrial predator has had pervasive ecosystem effects, including shifts in composition of avian assemblages.
Invasive species-driven trophic cascades: Are cane toads indirectly contributing to small mammal collapses across tropical Australia?
TLDR
A novel conceptual model is postulate linking recent mammal declines with trophic cascades following toad invasion, where the loss of large, anurophagous (toad-eating) reptilian apex predators allowed increases in mammal-eating meso-predatory snakes and large lizards.
Resolving the value of the dingo in ecological restoration
TLDR
This initiative would test whether dingoes can help restore Australia's rangeland biodiversity, and potentially provide proof-of-concept for apex predator reintroductions globally.
Disease-induced decline of an apex predator drives invasive dominated states and threatens biodiversity.
TLDR
The results provide evidence that the devil plays a keystone role in Tasmania's ecosystem with their decline linked to a shift toward an invasive state and biodiversity loss in one of Australia's most intact faunal communities.
Interactions between two naturalised invasive predators in Australia: are feral cats suppressed by dingoes?
TLDR
It is concluded that the presently available data provides little evidence that bolstering dingo populations will reduce the impacts of cats, and much more work is needed to identify situations where top-predators might be used as effective biocontrol tools against invasive mesopredators in agro-ecological systems.
Impact of conservation areas on trophic interactions between apex predators and herbivores on coral reefs.
TLDR
The lack of a relationship between predators and herbivores suggests that top-down forces may not play a strong role in regulating large-bodied herbivorous coral reef fish populations, and trophic structures on coral reefs may need to be reassessed to enable the establishment of appropriate and effective management regimes.
Is the dingo top dog? : the influence of dingo management on the behaviour of introduced carnivores in arid Australia, with implications for native fauna conservation
An improved understanding of how ecosystems function is important for effective natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Recent research suggests that top-order predators have…
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 275 REFERENCES
Evaluating the role of the dingo as a trophic regulator in Australian ecosystems
TLDR
Three broad questions are proposed to clarify not only the impacts of dingoes at all trophic levels, but also the mechanisms by which these impacts occur; the design of appropriate experiments is discussed, using principles that may also be applied to investigate species interactions on other continents.
Demonising the dingo: How much wild dogma is enough?
TLDR
It is argued that these widespread patterns of species’ abundances attributed to the effects of dingoes and evident at scales ranging from the foraging behaviour of individuals through to continental scale patterns ofspecies abundances, constitute strong support for the mesopredator release hypothesis and provide evidence that dingoes benefit biodiversity conservation by inducing community wide trophic cascades.
A national framework for research on trophic regulation by the Dingo in Australia
TLDR
This review defines strategic directions for future research on the trophic role of Dingoes by developing a national Dingo research framework, and believes that policy and management will be better informed, benefiting both the Dingo and the natural ecosystems and production systems where it occurs.
Keystone effects of an alien top-predator stem extinctions of native mammals
TLDR
This study provides evidence that an alien top predator can assume a keystone role and be beneficial for biodiversity conservation, and also that mammalian carnivores more generally can generate strong trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems.
Threatened species indicate hot-spots of top-down regulation
The introduction of alien mesopredators and herbivores has been implicated as the main driver of mammalian extinction in Australia. Recent studies suggest that the devastating effects of invasive…
Evaluating the role of the Dingo as a trophic regulator: Additional practical suggestions
TLDR
There is a range of research questions that need to be experimentally addressed that include understanding the ecological significance of Dingo–Dog hybridization, and new terminology may be needed relating to Dingo and/or Wild Dog management that more clearly reflects both the genetic status of the species as well as its ecological function.
Evidence that dingoes limit abundance of a mesopredator in eastern Australian forests
TLDR
Data re-analyse published data on fox vs. wild dog abundance in eastern Australia reveals a triangular relationship of fox to wild dog density: when wild dogs are abundant, foxes are consistently rare, while whenWild dogs are rare, Foxes may be abundant but does not fully determine fox abundance, and illustrates problems and solutions in the statistical analysis of abundance of one species as a function of the abundance of another species with which it has a strong interaction.
Does a top-predator provide an endangered rodent with refuge from an invasive mesopredator?
TLDR
This study investigated how the abundance of an endangered rodent Notomys fuscus is affected by Australia's largest predator, the dingo Canis lupus dingo, introduced mesopredators, introduced herbivores, kangaroos and rainfall to suggest top-order predators, such as dingoes, could have an important functional role in broad-scale biodiversity conservation programmes.
Rarity of a top predator triggers continent-wide collapse of mammal prey: dingoes and marsupials in Australia
TLDR
It is suggested that many remaining Australian mammals would benefit from the positive management of dingoes, and a strong positive relationship between the survival of marsupials and the geographical overlap with high-density dingo populations is shown.
Are dingoes a trophic regulator in arid Australia? A comparison of mammal communities on either side of the dingo fence
TLDR
Evidence is provided that dingoes do structure mammal communities in arid Australia; however, dingo exclusion is also associated with a suite of land use factors, including sheep grazing and kangaroo harvesting that may also be expected to influence kangaroos and red fox populations.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...