Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response

Session Details

Do dingoes have a role in the conservation of Australian ecosystems?

Wednesday, 11 July 2007 08:35 -10:05

Bio-Med Theatre A

The disruption or total cessation of interactions between top-order predators and their prey species have well documented and dramatic effects on the organization and function of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These effects include the irruption of herbivores, an increase in the abundance of smaller predators owing to the absence of competition or predation by larger carnivores (meso-predator release), and changes in the abundance and composition of plant communities owing to altered plant-herbivore interactions. In terrestrial ecosystems, the meso-predator release hypothesis has been invoked to explain the decline of small prey species by suggesting that the elimination of top-order predators results in an increase in the abundance and consequently the impact of smaller predators.

Dingoes are the largest terrestrial predator in Australia. They are extinct over much of their former range and face widespread persecution in many areas where they remain. Predation by introduced predators and overgrazing are major threats to biodiversity in Australia. Dingoes may be beneficial for biodiversity conservation by reducing the abundance of foxes and large herbivores, thus reducing predation pressure on medium sized mammals and total grazing pressure, respectively. However, the role of dingoes in Australian ecosystems is not yet fully understood and is controversial owing to debate as to whether they are a native Australian species and their impacts on agriculture. This symposium will explore the role of dingoes in biodiversity conservation in Australia and the policy environment that directs their management.