Conserving ecological roles of top predators in isolated mountains

ABSTRACT Understanding the ecological roles of apex predators remains an important field of study. The influence of apex predators on ecosystems can be either profound or negligible in different situations, and uncertainty still exists about the ecological roles of most top-predators, including Australian dingoes. This uncertainly is maintained by a dearth of experimental evidence investigating their roles. Such evidence is indispensable if dingo management is to be evidence-based. In this report, we discuss a recent experiment where dingoes were released on to an island as vertebrate biocontrol tools intended to eradicate feral goats and restore native vegetation being threatened by the goats. The experiment was successful, and the dingoes reduced the goat population to one or perhaps two male goats within ~2 years. This predator introduction experiment elucidated dingo’s effects on small livestock, their per capita predation rates, and their invasiveness or their ability to adapt and change their environment. The experiment confirmed that dingoes have the capacity to decimate populations of small livestock species and trigger a trophic cascade by reducing herbivory on vegetation. We encourage further manipulative experiments to explore the ubiquity of these results in different contexts.

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All the better to see you with: eyes and claws reveal the evolution of divergent ecological roles in giant pterygotid eurypterids

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2015.0564 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 20150564 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Victoria E. McCoy ◽

James C. Lamsdell ◽

Markus Poschmann ◽

Ross P. Anderson ◽

Derek E. G. Briggs

Keyword(s):

Visual System ◽

Sister Taxon ◽

Characteristic Morphology ◽

Visual Systems ◽

Top Predators ◽

Representative Species ◽

Ecological Roles ◽

High Level ◽

Predatory Arthropods

Pterygotid eurypterids have traditionally been interpreted as active, high-level, visual predators; however, recent studies of the visual system and cheliceral morphology of the pterygotid Acutiramus contradict this interpretation. Here, we report similar analyses of the pterygotids Erettopterus, Jaekelopterus and Pterygotus , and the pterygotid sister taxon Slimonia . Representative species of all these genera have more acute vision than A. cummingsi . The visual systems of Jaekelopterus rhenaniae and Pterygotus anglicus are comparable to that of modern predatory arthropods. All species of Jaekelopterus and Pterygotus have robust crushing chelicerae, morphologically distinct from the weaker slicing chelicerae of Acutiramus . Vision in Erettopterus osiliensis and Slimonia acuminata is more acute than in Acutiramus cummingsi , but not to the same degree as in modern active predators, and the morphology of the chelicerae in these genera suggests a grasping function. The pterygotids evolved with a shift in ecology from generalized feeder to specialized predator. Pterygotid eurypterids share a characteristic morphology but, although some were top predators, their ecology differs radically between genera.

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Making protected area networks effective for marine top predators

Endangered Species Research ◽

10.3354/esr00322 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 203-218 ◽

Cited By ~ 102

Author(s):

SK Hooker ◽

A Cañadas ◽

KD Hyrenbach ◽

C Corrigan ◽

JJ Polovina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Area ◽

Top Predators

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Aquatic and semi aquatic Hemiptera community of Sonebeel, the largest wetland of Assam, northeastern India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.3440.10.13.12792-12799 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (13) ◽

pp. 12792-12799

Author(s):

Anupama Saha ◽

Susmita Gupta

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Pest Control ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Species Distribution ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Northeastern India ◽

Ecological Roles

Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera bugs play significant ecological roles, and they are important indicators and pest control agents. Little information is currently available concerning its populations in southern Assam. This study assessed hemipterans in four sites of Sonebeel, the largest wetland in Assam (3458.12 ha at full storage level), situated in Karimganj District. The major inflow and outflow of the wetland are the rivers Singla and Kachua, respectively (the Kachua drains into the Kushiyara River). Samples were trapped with pond nets and were seasonally recorded. This study recorded a total of 28 species of aquatic and semiaquatic hemipterans belonging to 20 genera under nine families. Population, geographical and environmental data (e.g., rainfall) were used to assess the relative abundance of species, species richness and different diversity indices, and species distribution.

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Trophic Cascades in Grasslands

10.1093/oso/9780198744511.003.0005 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Brian J. Wilsey

Keyword(s):

Indirect Effects ◽

Prey Species ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Direct Effects ◽

Temperate Grasslands ◽

Cascading Effect ◽

Top Predators ◽

Invertebrate Predators ◽

Ecology Of Fear

Top predators have effects that can ‘cascade down’ on lower trophic levels. Because of this cascading effect, it matters how many trophic levels are present. Predators are either ‘sit and wait’ or ‘active’. Wolves are top predators in temperate grasslands and can alter species composition of smaller-sized predators, prey, and woody and herbaceous plant species, either through direct effects or indirect effects (‘Ecology of Fear’). In human derived grasslands, invertebrate predators fill a similar ecological role as wolves. Migrating populations of herbivores tend to be more limited by food than non-migratory populations. The phenology and synchrony of births vary among prey species in a way that is consistent with an adaptation to predation. Precocious species have highly synchronous birth dates to satiate predators. Non-precocious species (‘hiders’) have asynchronous births. Results from studies that manipulate both predators and food support the hypothesis that bottom-up and top-down effects interact.

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Indian Grey Wolf and Striped Hyaena sharing from the same bowl: High niche overlap between top predators in a human-dominated landscape

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01682 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e01682

Author(s):

Tanoy Mukherjee ◽

Ishita Chongder ◽

Shankhamala Ghosh ◽

Akash dutta ◽

Abhishek Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Niche Overlap ◽

Grey Wolf ◽

Top Predators

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Anabaenopeptins: What We Know So Far

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13080522 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 522

Author(s):

Patrick Romano Monteiro ◽

Samuel Cavalcante do Amaral ◽

Andrei Santos Siqueira ◽

Luciana Pereira Xavier ◽

Agenor Valadares Santos

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Bioactive Compounds ◽

Inhibitory Activity ◽

Important Class ◽

Biotechnological Applications ◽

Peptide Synthetases ◽

Ecological Roles ◽

Cyclic Hexapeptides ◽

Key Features

Cyanobacteria are microorganisms with photosynthetic mechanisms capable of colonizing several distinct environments worldwide. They can produce a vast spectrum of bioactive compounds with different properties, resulting in an improved adaptative capacity. Their richness in secondary metabolites is related to their unique and diverse metabolic apparatus, such as Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetases (NRPSs). One important class of peptides produced by the non-ribosomal pathway is anabaenopeptins. These cyclic hexapeptides demonstrated inhibitory activity towards phosphatases and proteases, which could be related to their toxicity and adaptiveness against zooplankters and crustaceans. Thus, this review aims to identify key features related to anabaenopeptins, including the diversity of their structure, occurrence, the biosynthetic steps for their production, ecological roles, and biotechnological applications.

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High-Tech Training for Birds of Prey

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11020530 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 530

Author(s):

Giovanni Granati ◽

Francesca Cichella ◽

Pia Lucidi

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Wild Bird ◽

Muscular Strength ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Birds Of Prey ◽

High Tech ◽

Training Method ◽

Top Predators ◽

The World ◽

Modern Technologies

Raptors are some of the most at-risk groups of birds in the world and saving these top predators is essential for maintaining the health of many ecosystems. After hospitalization, raptors are often released when muscular recovery is still unfitting when they are unable to hunt efficiently and are at risk of dying from starvation within a few days. On the other hand, if a convalescent bird is trained with the only use of classic falconry techniques, it is likely to remain dependent on the caretaker/falconer even long after the release, so unable to hunt independently. To overcome these problems, a new training method was conceived, which could improve raptors’ muscular strength while limiting habituation to humans. This has been possible due to the combination of classic falconry techniques and modern technologies, such as the introduction of specific workouts with drones. Three falconry raptors and one wild Eurasian hobby were trained through high-tech falconry to develop the ability to catch, grasp, and airlift their prey at a different speed, altitude, and resistance. The main findings of this study were: (i) The rapid increase of the raptors’ speed; (ii) the muscular growth and endurance, and (iii) successful reintroduction of a wild bird.

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