Trophic roles of black rats and seabird impacts on tropical islands: Mesopredator release or hyperpredation?

Ringler, David; Russell, James C.; Corre, Matthieu Le

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2014.12.014

Cited by 50 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…This abundant food resource can help sustain feral cat abundance at a high level, thereby exacerbating predation pressure on native wildlife via the "hyperpredation" process (Courchamp et al, 1999;Ringler et al, 2015). This result is consistent with the FO found by Bonnaud et al (2011) (44.05 ± 28.3, 55 studies) in their review of the cat diet on islands worldwide.…”

Section: Overall Cat Dietsupporting

confidence: 88%

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Feral cats threaten the outstanding endemic fauna of the New Caledonia biodiversity hotspot

Palmas

Jourdan

Rigault

et al. 2017

Biological Conservation

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A B S T R A C TFeral cats (Felis catus) are one of the most successful and harmful invasive predator species, leading to dramatic loss of biodiversity across the globe. Our study assessed feral cat predation in a major biodiversity hotspot: the New Caledonian archipelago. We focused on the consequences of this predation for the outstanding endemic fauna found throughout the rich range of New Caledonian natural habitats. We analyzed > 5300 cat scats sampled from 14 selected sites representing the 4 main natural habitats, with 4 to 6 sampling sessions per year over > 4 years per habitat. Our study reveals previously unreported patterns of cat predation on both alien and endemic species. Throughout the archipelago, cats prey strongly upon squamates, flying foxes and petrels. Feral cat prey included at least 44 native vertebrate species, 20 of which are IUCN Red-listed threatened species. This study adds some 44.4% to the number of IUCN threatened species vulnerable to and preyed upon by feral cats on the world's islands. New Caledonia, while it represents only 0.12% of the total area of islands worldwide (Australia included), hosts 30.8% of IUCN threatened species known to be predated by feral cats. This study recommends prioritizing management and conservation strategies by focusing actions on maquis mosaic and humid forest habitats, where feral cats pose the greatest threat. To limit the impact of feral cats, we recommend conducting targeted management actions on sites key to threatened species conservation, and preventing arrival or promoting eradication on islets.

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Section: Overall Cat Dietsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Introduced mammals (rodents and lagomorphs) generally constitute staple prey that can facilitate the establishment and expansion of abundant feral cat populations, indirectly increasing predation risk for native species through a so-called "hyperpredation" mechanism (e.g. Courchamp et al, 1999;Ringler et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feral cats threaten the outstanding endemic fauna of the New Caledonia biodiversity hotspot

Palmas

Jourdan

Rigault

et al. 2017

Biological Conservation

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“…At the same time, introduced crayfish naturally adapted to predation by American bullfrogs, and with a high growth rate, may inflate L. catesbeianus numbers and consequently increase their impact on native amphibians (i.e. ‘hyperpredation’; Zavaleta et al, ); however, hyperpredation has been described for island ecosystems (Courchamp et al, ; Ringler, Russell, & Le Corre, ; Russell, ), but has rarely been described in freshwater environments (Ricciardi & MacIsaac, ; but see Pope, Garwood, Welsh, & Lawler, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field data and worldwide literature review reveal that alien crayfish mitigate the predation impact of the American bullfrog on native amphibians

Bissattini

Buono

Vignoli

2018

Aquatic Conservation

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Biological invasion studies have focused mostly on the competition and predation impact of invaders on native species; however, introduced species frequently interact with each other and, contrary to the ‘invasional meltdown theory’, such interactions may have non‐interactive effects on native fauna. Here, the effects of the interaction between American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) and decapod crayfish on native amphibians have been investigated. Introduced American bullfrog populations were studied at two sites in central Italy (Rome, Latium), with their selection based on the presence or absence of the alien Procambarus clarkii. The pattern emerging from the fieldwork was then verified by a worldwide literature review on the trophic niche of the American bullfrog. Both field surveys and global diet analysis showed that the abundance of native amphibians in the American bullfrog diet was reduced when introduced crayfish occurred in both native and non‐native ranges. Thus, an alternative invasion model can be proposed in which the occurrence of one invader (P. clarkii) may reduce the negative effect of an alien predator (L. catesbeianus) on native species. The present findings suggest that the removal of invaders may not always be the best solution for protecting native prey, especially when alien species are interspersed with other introduced species. In such cases, multispecies operations, sequenced appropriately or undertaken simultaneously, would be preferable. Moreover, the identification of mechanisms facilitating the coexistence of native species with invaders can offer important management options.

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“…28 In particular, efficiency in public services such as solid waste management and access to waste disposal centers lead to decreased rodent population sizes, and decreased contact with commensal rodents and rodentborne pathogens. [29][30][31] This in turn may have a cascading effect on cat abundance through bottom-up processes, 32 and in consequence affect the environmental load of parasites like Toxoplasma gondii. 33,34 However, this pattern has only been studied in large metropolitan areas, and whether it persists at smaller population sizes is currently unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Burdens of Neglected Tropical Zoonotic Diseases on Islands with Introduced Mammals

Wit

Croll

Tershy

et al. 2017

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. Many neglected tropical zoonotic pathogens are maintained by introduced mammals, and on islands the most common introduced species are rodents, cats, and dogs. Management of introduced mammals, including control or eradication of feral populations, which is frequently done for ecological restoration, could also reduce or eliminate the pathogens these animals carry. Understanding the burden of these zoonotic diseases is crucial for quantifying the potential public health benefits of introduced mammal management. However, epidemiological data are only available from a small subset of islands where these introduced mammals co-occur with people. We examined socioeconomic and climatic variables as predictors for disease burdens of angiostrongyliasis, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis, and rabies from 57 islands or island countries. We found strong correlates of disease burden for leptospirosis, Toxoplasma gondii infection, angiostrongyliasis, and toxocariasis with more than 50% of the variance explained, and an average of 57% (range = 32-95%) predictive accuracy on out-of-sample data. We used these relationships to provide estimates of leptospirosis incidence and T. gondii seroprevalence infection on islands where nonnative rodents and cats are present. These predicted estimates of disease burden could be used in an initial assessment of whether the costs of managing introduced mammal reservoirs might be less than the costs of perpetual treatment of these diseases on islands.

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Trophic roles of black rats and seabird impacts on tropical islands: Mesopredator release or hyperpredation?

Cited by 50 publications

References 47 publications

Feral cats threaten the outstanding endemic fauna of the New Caledonia biodiversity hotspot

Feral cats threaten the outstanding endemic fauna of the New Caledonia biodiversity hotspot

Field data and worldwide literature review reveal that alien crayfish mitigate the predation impact of the American bullfrog on native amphibians

Estimating Burdens of Neglected Tropical Zoonotic Diseases on Islands with Introduced Mammals

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