more than mere numbers the impact of lethal control on the social stability of a top-order predator比数字更致命的影响控制的社会稳定top-order捕食者.pdfVIP

More than Mere Numbers: The Impact of Lethal Control on the Social Stability of a Top-Order Predator 1 2 3 4 Arian D. Wallach *, Euan G. Ritchie , John Read , Adam J. O’Neill 1 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 2 School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, 3 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 4 CA Environmental Services, Rangeland Research and Restoration, West Burleigh, Queensland, Australia Abstract Population control of socially complex species may have profound ecological implications that remain largely invisible if only their abundance is considered. Here we discuss the effects of control on a socially complex top-order predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo). Since European occupation of Australia, dingoes have been controlled over much of the continent. Our aim was to investigate the effects of control on their abundance and social stability. We hypothesized that dingo abundance and social stability are not linearly related, and proposed a theoretical model in which dingo populations may fluctuate between three main states: (A) below carrying capacity and socially fractured, (B) above carrying capacity and socially fractured, or (C) at carrying capacity and socially stable. We predicted that lethal control would drive dingoes into the unstable states A or B, and that relaxation of control would allow recovery towards C. We tested our predictions by surveying relative abundance (track density) and indicators of social stability (scent-marking and howling) at seven sites in the arid zone subject to diff