Important read ......Large (apex) predators are vital for the health of ecosystems, but are also some of the most imperilled species. Apex predators maintain a ‘balance of nature’ by limiting populations of their prey and smaller predators. This predation force cascades through ecosystems to influence processes as wide ranging as grazing, predation and reproduction - to fire, disease, carbon sequestration, soil chemistry and water – and all the way to human economic and educational opportunities. The influence of apex predators is arguably of a similar magnitude to that of climate change. Unlike climate however, the importance of apex predators remains largely unrecognized by society. The dingo is one of the strongest examples known of the ecological role of an apex predator. Dingoes regulate the populations of smaller predators and wild herbivores, thereby protecting small animals from over predation and vegetation from overgrazing. Australia has been stuck in a quagmire of desertification, biodiversity loss and extinctions for decades, driven primarily by the uncontrolled outbreaks of introduced animals. Conservation practitioners have been engaged in an uphill battle to save Australias threatened species, primarily by the application of aggressive pest control. Research has now demonstrated that we have at our fingertips a simple means to effectively restore degraded ecosystems and recover threatened species: the relaxation of dingo control. There are currently no safe places for dingoes however, and persecution of dingoes continues unabated across the country, including in National Parks. We argue for the adoption of predator-friendly practices for two major reasons: (1) dingoes are vital for ecosystem health and (2) dingoes have an inherent value and right to assume their place in the Australian landscape. We therefore set out to establish large-scale long-term Dingo Reserves, and two have been successfully launched. At these sites we are trialing a holistic ecological restoration approach based on the protection of dingoes and without the use of any pest control. Dr. Arian Wallach .Principle Investigator University Fellow, Charles Darwin University.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 09:58:12 +0000