Do dingoes regulate the structure and function of arid ecosystems?
Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) are the largest terrestrial predator in Australia and face widespread persecution due to their predation on livestock, particularly sheep. To exclude dingoes from sheep producing areas, Australian governments maintain a dingo-proof fence which extends for over 5000 km through arid inland Australia. Due to poisoning, shooting and the prevention of immigration, dingoes are rare ‘inside” the fence. Previous studies have indicated a large disparity in kangaroo and emu numbers on either side of the dingo fence, possibly due to predation by dingoes. Other studies have also suggested that dingoes may be beneficial for biodiversity conservation by reducing the abundance of introduced, red foxes, which are a major threat to native fauna. I am conducting a continental scale study examining differences in ecosystem structure at sites situated in comparable landscapes located “inside” and “outside” the dingo fence. I am testing the following predictions relating to the influence of dingoes on arid ecosystems:
1) Numbers of red foxes and feral cats should be lower in the presence of dingoes.
2) Large herbivore numbers should be lower in the presence of dingoes.
3) Rabbit numbers should be higher in the presence of dingoes due to lower predation pressure by red foxes and feral cats.
4) Populations of small mammals (<0.1 kg) should be higher in the presence of dingoes due to lower predation pressure by red foxes and feral cats.
5) That pasture condition and land condition should be better in the presence of dingoes due to lower total grazing pressure, owing to dingo predation on herbivores.
Preliminary results are presented.