SEMINAR: Plant Biology research seminars

Apex predators may suppress smaller ‘mesopredators’ through direct antagonistic interactions or through indirect competition for resources. These interactions may result in a reduction in mesopredator abundance or changes in their behaviour causing them to avoid apex predators. In Australia, the dingo is the continent’s top terrestrial predator and co-occurs with the introduced mesopredator, the feral cat. Feral cats prey on native species and are implicated in the extinction of at least 16 mammals; reducing the impacts of feral cats is crucial for the conservation of Australian fauna. As the dominant apex predator, dingoes are predicted to suppress the activity and/or abundance of feral cats. However, evidence supporting this hypothesis remains scant and insufficient. My thesis examined evidence for top-down suppression of feral cats by dingoes in an arid environment in Australia. I investigated this topic by examining the spatial dynamics of feral cat and dingo distributions and activities and by examining the potential for competition between them for shared prey.