Seasonal changes in the diet of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from three different Mediterranean habitats in south-western Australia

Martin, Gary R.; Twigg, Laurie E.; Zampichelli, Lina

doi:10.1071/wr06044

Cited by 23 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Rabbits consumed relatively even proportions of dicots and monocots. Although rabbits predominantly ate forbs, they also consumed considerable quantities of grasses and grass-like plants; these results conform with other studies showing that rabbits graze selectively on forbs and grasses (Leigh et al 1991;Martin et al 2007). Herbivory can have positive effects on plant performance (e.g.…”

Section: Herbivore Dietssupporting

confidence: 90%

Diets of native and introduced mammalian herbivores in shrub-encroached grassy woodland, south-eastern Australia

2008

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Effective management of sympatric mammalian herbivore populations requires an understanding of interspecific interactions. At Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, sympatric native and introduced mammalian herbivores are thought to be contributing to modification of shrub-encroached Coastal Grassy Woodland. We estimated the diets of the five terrestrial mammalian herbivore species present using microhistological techniques. The diets of introduced hog deer (Axis porcinus) and native swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor) consisted mainly of dicots. The diet of introduced European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) contained similar proportions of monocots and dicots. The diets of native eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) and native common wombats (Vombatus ursinus) consisted mainly of monocots but kangaroos also consumed moderate amounts of dicots. Deer and wallabies consumed more native plants than did the other species and rabbits consumed more exotic plants than did all other species except kangaroos. Diet breadth was narrowest for kangaroos and broadest for swamp wallabies and hog deer. Overlap in food use by the five herbivores was high, particularly between deer and wallabies, and between kangaroos and both rabbits and wombats. Our results suggest that the potential impacts of native and introduced species on the vegetation of Coastal Grassy Woodland are similar, and that the entire herbivore assemblage will need to be managed to increase fine fuel loads if fire is used as a restoration tool.

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Section: Herbivore Dietssupporting

confidence: 90%

Diets of native and introduced mammalian herbivores in shrub-encroached grassy woodland, south-eastern Australia

2008

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“…This result could be explained by greater dietary overlap during summer: i.e. by rabbits switching from a diet predominantly of annual forbs and grasses during winter/spring to a diet that concentrated on perennial dicots, sedges and grasses in summer/autumn (as they do switch in south-western Australia, Martin et al 2007), while wombats in this region favour perennial sedges and grasses throughout the year (Mallett and Cooke 1986). Although the numerical response of both marsupials was primarily driven by immigration and changes in foraging range, it follows that total marsupial abundance is also likely to increase gradually if limiting food resources become more available.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Damage caused by low-density exotic herbivore populations: the impact of introduced European rabbits on marsupial herbivores and Allocasuarina and Bursaria seedling survival in Australian coastal shrubland

et al. 2011

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The impact of over-abundant exotic herbivores is well recognised, but their impact at low population densities is poorly understood. This study examined interactions between European rabbits and native herbivores, and their impact on seedling recruitment in coastal South Australia, 2 years after rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) had reduced rabbit density to 4.48 rabbits ha -1 . Rabbit density was further reduced to 0.44 rabbits ha -1 in replicated experimental treatments. Rabbit control reduced total grazing pressure by 39% despite compensatory grazing increases of [100% for both western grey kangaroos and common wombats. Rabbit control slowed the rate of grazing and mortality for planted drooping sheoak and sweet bursaria seedlings, but few survived for 12 months: 0 and 3% of sheoak, in untreated areas and rabbit control treatments, respectively, and 3 and 11% of bursaria, respectively. Planted sheoaks survived well if protected by rabbit-proof netting (60%). Within treatments, seedling grazing and survival rates were negatively correlated with rabbit density but kangaroo and wombat density had no measurable effect. We conclude that RHD may briefly have reduced rabbit densities enough to allow recruitment of bursaria but that sheoak require much lower rabbit densities than those provided by existing biological control agents. If left unaddressed, rabbit grazing could ultimately lead to the loss of sheoaks throughout most of their current range, irrespective of other attempts to conserve them. More generally, these data show how species-specific damage caused by low-density exotic herbivore populations may occur in the presence of more abundant but less-damaging native herbivores.

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“…Kangaroos and rabbits have smaller mouth gapes and potent jaws, which explains the scarcity of big and very big dispersal units and seeds in their faeces. In addition, kangaroos and rabbits are grazers, feeding mostly on herb foliage (Wann and Bell 1997;Martin et al 2007). Emus rely less on high fibre food, for their lower efficiency in digesting structural carbohydrates (Herd and Dawson 1984).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed dispersal of alien and native plants by vertebrate herbivores

Calviño‐Cancela

2010

Biol Invasions

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Seed dispersal is crucial for the success and spread of alien plants. Herbivores often establish a dual relationship with plants: antagonist, through herbivory, and mutualist, through seed dispersal. By consuming plants, herbivores may disperse large amounts of seeds, and can facilitate the spread of alien plants. However, seed dispersal of alien plants by herbivores has been largely uninvestigated. I studied factors associated with dispersal of alien and native seeds by the three most important vertebrate herbivores in SW Australia: emus (Dromaius novaehollandia), western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Overall frequencies of alien and native seeds dispersed by these herbivores were determined by differences among them in (1) the plant groups they predominantly disperse, that differed in frequencies of aliens versus natives, and (2) the predominant dispersal of aliens or natives within those plant groups. Emus and kangaroos (natives) tended to disperse predominantly alien seeds within plant groups (defined by life forms, dispersal syndromes, and diaspore size), whereas rabbits (alien) tended to disperse predominantly natives. This agrees with the hypothesis that herbivores will use predominantly plants that have evolved in different areas, because of less effective defences against new enemies. Overall frequencies were consistent with this pattern in kangaroos and rabbits, but not in emus. Kangaroos dispersed mostly plant groups that were mainly aliens (herbaceous species and small and medium sized dispersal units and seeds), which together with their predominant use of aliens over natives within groups resulted in the highest overall frequency of alien seeds (73%). Rabbits were similar to kangaroos in the type of plants dispersed, but their predominant use of natives over aliens within groups contributed to an overall predominance of native seeds in their pellets (88%). Emus dispersed mostly plant groups that were mainly natives (e.g. woody species with big diaspores), resulting in low overall frequency of alien seeds (11%), despite their predominant use of aliens over natives within plant groups. Thus, the within-groups trend pointed to a facilitative role of native herbivores of plant invasions through seed dispersal, but was obscured by the different use by herbivores of plant groups with different frequency of aliens.

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Seasonal changes in the diet of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from three different Mediterranean habitats in south-western Australia

Cited by 23 publications

References 45 publications

Diets of native and introduced mammalian herbivores in shrub-encroached grassy woodland, south-eastern Australia

Diets of native and introduced mammalian herbivores in shrub-encroached grassy woodland, south-eastern Australia

Damage caused by low-density exotic herbivore populations: the impact of introduced European rabbits on marsupial herbivores and Allocasuarina and Bursaria seedling survival in Australian coastal shrubland

Seed dispersal of alien and native plants by vertebrate herbivores

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