Linked Life Data

19535372

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/19535372

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1671
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-8-11
pubmed:abstractText
Alien predators can have catastrophic effects on ecosystems and are thought to be much more harmful to biodiversity than their native counterparts. However, trophic cascade theory and the mesopredator release hypothesis predict that the removal of top predators will result in the reorganization of trophic webs and loss of biodiversity. Using field data collected throughout arid Australia, we provide evidence that removal of an alien top-predator, the dingo, has cascading effects through lower trophic levels. Dingo removal was linked to increased activity of herbivores and an invasive mesopredator, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and to the loss of grass cover and native species of small mammals. Using species distribution data, we predict that reintroducing or maintaining dingo populations would produce a net benefit for the conservation of threatened native mammals across greater than 2.42 x 10(6) km(2) of Australia. Our study provides evidence that an alien top predator can assume a keystone role and be beneficial for biodiversity conservation, and also that mammalian carnivores more generally can generate strong trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0962-8452
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
22
pubmed:volume
276
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
3249-56
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-9-24
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Keystone effects of an alien top-predator stem extinctions of native mammals.
pubmed:affiliation
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia. mletnic@ysyd.edu.au
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't