A critical review of habitat use by feral cats and key directions for future research and management

Feral cats (Felis catus) have a wide global distribution and cause significant damage to native fauna. Reducing their impacts requires an understanding of how they use habitat and which parts of the landscape should be the focus of management. We reviewed 27 experimental and observational studies conducted around the world over the last 35 years that aimed to examine habitat use by feral and unowned cats. Our aims were to: (1) summarise the current body of literature on habitat use by feral and unowned cats in the context of applicable ecological theory (i.e. habitat selection, foraging theory); (2) develop testable hypotheses to help fill important knowledge gaps in the current body of knowledge on this topic; and (3) build a conceptual framework that will guide the activities of researchers and managers in reducing feral cat impacts. We found that feral cats exploit a diverse range of habitats including arid deserts, shrublands and grasslands, fragmented agricultural landscapes, urban areas, glacial valleys, equatorial to sub-Antarctic islands and a range of forest and woodland types. Factors invoked to explain habitat use by cats included prey availability, predation/competition, shelter availability and human resource subsidies, but the strength of evidence used to support these assertions was low, with most studies being observational or correlative. We therefore provide a list of key directions that will assist conservation managers and researchers in better understanding and ameliorating the impact of feral cats at a scale appropriate for useful management and research. Future studies will benefit from employing an experimental approach and collecting data on the relative abundance and activity of prey and other predators. This might include landscape-scale experiments where the densities of predators, prey or competitors are manipulated and then the response in cat habitat use is measured. Effective management of feral cat populations could target high-use areas, such as linear features and structurally complex habitat. Since our review shows often-divergent outcomes in the use of the same habitat components and vegetation types worldwide, local knowledge and active monitoring of management actions is essential when deciding on control programs.

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Unexpected Arrivals

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis ◽

10.3102/0162373716661242 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 692-713 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emilyn Ruble Whitesell ◽

Leanna Stiefel ◽

Amy Ellen Schwartz

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Public Schools ◽

Urban Areas ◽

English Language ◽

Future Research ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Heterogeneous Effects ◽

Eighth Grade Students ◽

Short Run ◽

The Impact

Across the country and in urban areas in particular, many students change schools during the academic year. While much research documents the impact of changing schools on the academic achievement of mobile students themselves, less research explores whether new arrivals have negative spillovers on stable classmates. The lack of research on impacts of mid-year entry is problematic, as poor, minority, and low-achieving students are disproportionately exposed to mid-year entry. In this study, we use a rigorous causal identification strategy and rich longitudinal data on fourth- through eighth-grade students in the New York City (NYC) public schools to estimate the impact of exposure to mid-year entry on the achievement of stable students. We analyze heterogeneous effects of mid-year entrants by origin (arriving from other NYC public schools, from other U.S. school systems, or from other countries), determine the extent to which mid-year entrants’ characteristics mediate the impact of mid-year entry, and explore the moderating influence of stable students’ characteristics. We find small negative effects of mid-year entry on both math and English language arts test scores in the short run. These impacts are not driven by mid-year entrant characteristics and are somewhat larger for Asian students and those who do not qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Finally, results suggest mid-year entry continues to negatively influence the math performance of stable students beyond the year of exposure. We discuss the relevance of results and conclude with recommendations for future research.

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Influence of fragmentation and disturbance on the potential impact of feral predators on native fauna in Australian forest ecosystems

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr9960387 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 387 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

S. A. May ◽

T. W. Norton

Keyword(s):

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Prey Species ◽

Prey Availability ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Native Forest ◽

Feral Cat ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Small Prey ◽

Potential Impact ◽

The Impact

The current knowledge is reviewed of the diet and predator–prey relationships of the feral cat (Felis catus), fox (Vulpes vulpes) and dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) (including wild dogs). The effect of forest fragmentation by roads on the use of native forest ecosystems by these species and the significance of this for native fauna is considered. The cat, fox and dingo are significant predators in Australia that interact with native fauna in various ways, including predation, competition for resources, and transmission of disease. On the basis of current knowledge, it is clear that the nature and impact of predation by the cat, fox and dingo on native fauna are primarily determined by prey availability, although there are exceptions to this rule. Generally, dingoes prey upon large to medium-sized prey species (e.g. wallabies, common wombats, and possums), foxes prey upon medium-sized to small prey (e.g. possums and rats) and consume a significant component of scavenged material and vegetation, while cats also prey upon medium-sized to small prey, but may have a greater proportion of reptiles and birds in their diet. The cat is generally considered to be an opportunistic predator and to have contributed to the demise of a number of mammals. The fox is considered more of a threat to small native mammals and it has been asserted that all species of mammals that fall within the critical weight range (CWR) of 120–5000 g are at risk of local extinction when the fox is present. The severity of the impact of the dingo upon the native fauna is considered to be minimal, at least in comparison with the impact that the cat and fox can have on populations. The dingo is not considered a threat to CWR mammals in undisturbed environments. The fox, feral cat and dingo are all considered to have the ability to selectivity prey upon species and, to some extent, individual sexes and age-classes of a number of larger prey species. Although many of Australia's forested areas are relatively heavily fragmented by roads, there are no published studies specifically investigating the use of roads by feral predators. Information on the distribution and abundance of foxes, cats and dingoes in these ecosystems, their ecology and their impact on native fauna is particularly limited. Further, the extent to which roads influence the distribution and abundance of these species and the consequences of these for native fauna are poorly known. One of the most important research needs is to establish the relative impact that exotic predators may have on native fauna under varying degrees of road construction within native forests. For example, are areas with and without roads in forests used differently by exotic predators and what is the significance of this in terms of the potential impact on fauna? The extent to which feral predators forage away from roads needs further investigation, as does the rates of predation within edges, because this may have several consequences for the design, location and size of retained strips and wildlife corridors as well as restoration programmes. Further observations on regional differences influencing predator–prey interactions are required, as is research on the potential impacts on native fauna resulting from prey selection in forests subjected to various degrees of fragmentation and modification.

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Understanding Australia’s national feral cat control effort

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr19216 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 698

Author(s):

Georgia E. Garrard ◽

Alexander M. Kusmanoff ◽

Richard Faulkner ◽

Chathuri L. Samarasekara ◽

Ascelin Gordon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Threatened Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Control Effort ◽

Data Repositories ◽

Feral Cat ◽

Feral Cats ◽

Mixed Methods Approach ◽

Qualitative Responses ◽

The Impact ◽

Combining Estimates

Abstract Context. Feral cats (Felis catus) pose a significant threat to Australia’s native species and feral cat control is, therefore, an important component of threatened species management and policy. Australia’s Threatened Species Strategy articulates defined targets for feral cat control. Yet, currently, little is known about who is engaged in feral cat control in Australia, what motivates them, and at what rate they are removing feral cats from the environment. Aims. We aim to document who is engaging in feral cat control in Australia, how many cats they remove and to estimate the number of feral cats killed in a single year. Furthermore, we seek to better understand attitudes towards feral cat control in Australia. Methods. We used a mixed methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. Feral cat control data were obtained from existing data repositories and via surveys targeting relevant organisations and individuals. A bounded national estimate of the number of feral cats killed was produced by combining estimates obtained from data repositories and surveys with modelled predictions for key audience segments. Attitudes towards feral cat control were assessed by exploring qualitative responses to relevant survey questions. Key results. We received information on feral cat control from three central repositories, 134 organisations and 2618 individuals, together removing more than 35000 feral cats per year. When including projections to national populations of key groups, the estimated number of feral cats removed from the environment in the 2017–2018 financial year was 316030 (95% CI: 297742–334318). Conclusions. Individuals and organisations make a significant, and largely unrecorded, contribution to feral cat control. Among individuals, there is a strong awareness of the impact of feral cats on Australia’s biodiversity. Opposition to feral cat control focussed largely on ethical concerns and doubts about its efficacy. Implications. There is significant interest in, and commitment to, feral cat control among some groups of Australian society, beyond the traditional conservation community. Yet more information is needed about control methods and their effectiveness to better understand how these efforts are linked to threatened species outcomes.

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Physiological and Molecular Responses to Acid Rain Stress in Plants and the Impact of Melatonin, Glutathione and Silicon in the Amendment of Plant Acid Rain Stress

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26040862 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 862

Author(s):

Biswojit Debnath ◽

Ashim Sikdar ◽

Shahidul Islam ◽

Kamrul Hasan ◽

Min Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acid Rain ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Antioxidant Activities ◽

Antioxidant Defense System ◽

Redox Balance ◽

Growth Potential ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Findings ◽

Acid Rain Stress ◽

The Impact

Air pollution has been a long-term problem, especially in urban areas, that eventually accelerates the formation of acid rain (AR), but recently it has emerged as a serious environmental issue worldwide owing to industrial and economic growth, and it is also considered a major abiotic stress to agriculture. Evidence showed that AR exerts harmful effects in plants, especially on growth, photosynthetic activities, antioxidant activities and molecular changes. Effectiveness of several bio-regulators has been tested so far to arbitrate various physiological, biochemical and molecular processes in plants under different diverse sorts of environmental stresses. In the current review, we showed that silicon (tetravalent metalloid and semi-conductor), glutathione (free thiol tripeptide) and melatonin (an indoleamine low molecular weight molecule) act as influential growth regulators, bio-stimulators and antioxidants, which improve plant growth potential, photosynthesis spontaneity, redox-balance and the antioxidant defense system through quenching of reactive oxygen species (ROS) directly and/or indirectly under AR stress conditions. However, earlier research findings, together with current progresses, would facilitate the future research advancements as well as the adoption of new approaches in attenuating the consequence of AR stress on crops, and might have prospective repercussions in escalating crop farming where AR is a restraining factor.

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Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Patch Size Affects Fish Communities in a Turbid-Algal Lake

Frontiers in Conservation Science ◽

10.3389/fcosc.2021.657691 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Audrey Looby ◽

Laura K. Reynolds ◽

Carrie Reinhardt Adams ◽

Charles W. Martin

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Patch Size ◽

Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Fish Habitat ◽

Fish Communities ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Management Actions ◽

Species Specific ◽

The Impact

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is declining worldwide, leading to subsequent reductions in the ecological functions associated with SAV in shallow aquatic ecosystems, including providing habitat for fishes. Extensive restoration efforts are required to reverse this trend, but studies focusing on aquatic vegetation have been uncommon in recent years relative to other primary producers. Evaluations of the most beneficial SAV species and characteristics for fishes are especially rare. Because of the potentially complex and inconsistent responses of fish to different management actions, further research is necessary to evaluate the species-specific and community-level effects of SAV to inform restoration decision-making. To examine what SAV characteristics increase fish habitat use in a turbid-algal lake undergoing restoration, we sampled 29 areas around Lake Apopka, Florida (USA) with fyke nets and trotlines. We examined the impact of eight environmental variables on fish abundance, biomass, community structure, and predation potential. For each approximated 0.6 m2 increase in SAV patch size, total fish biomass catch increased 6.5 g hr−1. Fish community composition based on abundance also changed with an increase in SAV patch size. The number of bait items missing from trotlines, a measure of predation potential, was most affected by water temperature, wind speed, and time of day, but not by the SAV variables tested. These results expand existing knowledge of fish habitat use of SAV and will inform future management efforts to conserve and restore fish communities by focusing on specific SAV characteristics such as patch size.

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How many reptiles are killed by cats in Australia?

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr17160 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 247 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

J. C. Z. Woinarski ◽

B. P. Murphy ◽

R. Palmer ◽

S. M. Legge ◽

C. R. Dickman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Population Size ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Predation Rate ◽

Population Viability ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Feral Cat ◽

Feral Cats ◽

Reptile Species ◽

Conservation Concern ◽

The Impact

Context Feral cats (Felis catus) are a threat to biodiversity globally, but their impacts upon continental reptile faunas have been poorly resolved. Aims To estimate the number of reptiles killed annually in Australia by cats and to list Australian reptile species known to be killed by cats. Methods We used (1) data from >80 Australian studies of cat diet (collectively >10 000 samples), and (2) estimates of the feral cat population size, to model and map the number of reptiles killed by feral cats. Key results Feral cats in Australia’s natural environments kill 466 million reptiles yr–1 (95% CI; 271–1006 million). The tally varies substantially among years, depending on changes in the cat population driven by rainfall in inland Australia. The number of reptiles killed by cats is highest in arid regions. On average, feral cats kill 61 reptiles km–2 year–1, and an individual feral cat kills 225 reptiles year–1. The take of reptiles per cat is higher than reported for other continents. Reptiles occur at a higher incidence in cat diet than in the diet of Australia’s other main introduced predator, the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Based on a smaller sample size, we estimate 130 million reptiles year–1 are killed by feral cats in highly modified landscapes, and 53 million reptiles year–1 by pet cats, summing to 649 million reptiles year–1 killed by all cats. Predation by cats is reported for 258 Australian reptile species (about one-quarter of described species), including 11 threatened species. Conclusions Cat predation exerts a considerable ongoing toll on Australian reptiles. However, it remains challenging to interpret the impact of this predation in terms of population viability or conservation concern for Australian reptiles, because population size is unknown for most Australian reptile species, mortality rates due to cats will vary across reptile species and because there is likely to be marked variation among reptile species in their capability to sustain any particular predation rate. Implications This study provides a well grounded estimate of the numbers of reptiles killed by cats, but intensive studies of individual reptile species are required to contextualise the conservation consequences of such predation.

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Trend Analyses of Major Contributions in The Counseling Psychologist Cited from 1986 to 1996

The Counseling Psychologist ◽

10.1177/0011000099271006 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 73-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Lisa Y. Flores ◽

S. Craig Rooney ◽

P. Paul Heppner ◽

LaVonne Douglas Browne ◽

Mei-Fen Wei

Keyword(s):

Half Life ◽

Impact Factors ◽

Future Research ◽

Official Publication ◽

Professional Issues ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Men And Women ◽

The Past ◽

Number Of Citations ◽

The Impact

This study commemorates the 30th anniversary of The Counseling Psychologist (TCP), the official publication of Division 17 since 1969. The investigation analyzes trends in the professional citations of the Major Contribution articles from the inception of TCP in 1969 through 1995. Results indicate (a) the impact factors and citation half-life statistics for Major Contribution articles for the years 1986 to 1996, (b) that citations of Major Contributions have increased over the past 11 years, (c) that Major Contribution articles are cited across a diverse range of disciplines, (d) that the number of Major Contribution articles in an issue is negatively related to the average number of citations for an issue, (e) the top 10 most frequently cited Major Contribution articles, (f) the percentages of Major Contributions published by men and women, and (g) emerging topic areas from citations of Major Contributions published from 1991 to 1995. Implications of the results are discussed with regard to professional issues, TCP, and future research.

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Towards operational quantification of GHG exchange in heterogeneous agricultural landscapes and experimental plots

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-6122 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bart Kruijt ◽

Reinder Nouta ◽

Cor Jacobs ◽

Merit van den Berg ◽

Christian Fritz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Eddy Covariance ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Test Site ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Future Research ◽

Management Actions ◽

The North ◽

Eddy Covariance Measurements ◽

Regional Authorities

With the increasing&#160; need to mitigate rising atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations more attention is being directed at the quantification&#160; of the GHG exchange characteristics of heterogenous landscape assemblages that vary in land cover and land use.&#160; &#160;Whilst emission-limiting or uptake-enhancing management actions are often being proposed for specific land use most remain to be experimentally tested and &#160;validated at the landscape scale. This is a challenge because the typical size of different landscape elements &#160;(fields, afforested areas and unmanaged land at hectare scale) or experimental fields where emission reduction measures are being tested, is at the lower limit of what micrometeorological techniques such as eddy covariance measurements can deal with. With large heterogeneity the use &#160;of chamber measurements is also limited. The investments to be made in equipment are a challenge for operational monitoring of GHG budgets.To address this we assess the feasibility of several options to acquire appropriate data in a way that is achievable for stakeholders, such as land managers and regional authorities. We use existing and new flux data from an agricultural landscape in the North of the Netherlands &#160;to: 1) compare paired eddy covariance (EC) data and automatic chamber (AC) data to test the representativity of small footprints. Results from a test site on drained meadows show almost identical CO2 fluxes. Future research should compare grass length and soil moisture of EC- and AC footprints; 2) test simplified alternatives to EC, such as those relying on concentration variances. Data from the peat meadow site suggest that time-averaged fluxes can be estimated in an empirical way with reasonable accuracy from concentration variances; 3) analyze the value of information gathered with mobile, roving/temporary EC approaches interpolated with gap filling models. The indications are&#160; that the values and variability of fluxes is largely&#160; conserved and predictable within seasons In all these analyses, we will consider the tradeoffs between the need for accuracy and pragmatism in operational practice.

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Introduced cats eating a continental fauna: invertebrate consumption by feral cats (Felis catus) in Australia

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr19197 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 610 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Leigh-Ann Woolley ◽

Brett P. Murphy ◽

Hayley M. Geyle ◽

Sarah M. Legge ◽

Russell A. Palmer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Empirical Studies ◽

Felis Catus ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Natural Environments ◽

Feral Cat ◽

Feral Cats ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Invertebrate Population ◽

The Impact

Abstract ContextRecent global concern over invertebrate declines has drawn attention to the causes and consequences of this loss of biodiversity. Feral cats, Felis catus, pose a major threat to many vertebrate species in Australia, but their effect on invertebrates has not previously been assessed. AimsThe objectives of our study were to (1) assess the frequency of occurrence (FOO) of invertebrates in feral cat diets across Australia and the environmental and geographic factors associated with this variation, (2) estimate the number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats annually and the spatial variation of this consumption, and (3) interpret the conservation implications of these results. MethodsFrom 87 Australian cat-diet studies, we modelled the factors associated with variation in invertebrate FOO in feral cat-diet samples. We used these modelled relationships to predict the number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats in largely natural and highly modified environments. Key resultsIn largely natural environments, the mean invertebrate FOO in feral cat dietary samples was 39% (95% CI: 31–43.5%), with Orthoptera being the most frequently recorded order, at 30.3% (95% CI: 21.2–38.3%). The highest invertebrate FOO occurred in lower-rainfall areas with a lower mean annual temperature, and in areas of greater tree cover. Mean annual invertebrate consumption by feral cats in largely natural environments was estimated to be 769 million individuals (95% CI: 422–1763 million) and in modified environments (with mean FOO of 27.8%) 317 million invertebrates year−1, giving a total estimate of 1086 million invertebrates year−1 consumed by feral cats across the continent. ConclusionsThe number of invertebrates consumed by feral cats in Australia is greater than estimates for vertebrate taxa, although the biomass (and, hence, importance for cat diet) of invertebrates taken would be appreciably less. The impact of predation by cats on invertebrates is difficult to assess because of the lack of invertebrate population and distribution estimates, but cats may pose a threat to some large-bodied narrowly restricted invertebrate species. ImplicationsFurther empirical studies of local and continental invertebrate diversity, distribution and population trends are required to adequately contextualise the conservation threat posed by feral cats to invertebrates across Australia.

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The peri-urban leopards of Kathmandu: assessing determinants of presence and predation on domestic animals

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605320000423 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Ashish Bista ◽

Pranav Chanchani ◽

Naresh Subedi ◽

Siddhartha B. Bajracharya

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Occupancy Models ◽

Rapid Response Teams ◽

Imperfect Detection ◽

Remnant Forest

Abstract The conservation of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes needs to be reconciled with the safety of humans and domestic animals. This is especially true for the leopard Panthera pardus, which occurs extensively in agricultural landscapes and remnant forest tracts embedded within peri-urban areas such as Kathmandu district in Nepal. We carried out interviews in 321 households in this district to determine the extent of leopard habitat use and predation on domestic animals (dogs and goats) during October 2015–April 2016. We used multi-state occupancy models, and estimated probabilities of leopard habitat use (Ψ1) and predation on domestic animals (Ψ2) as a function of covariates, while accounting for imperfect detection. Our findings indicate that the rapidly urbanizing outskirts of Kathmandu city are used extensively by leopards. The estimated probability of fine-scale habitat use in 2 km2 sample units was 0.96 ± SE 0.05 and the probability of predation on domestic animals was 0.76 ± SE 0.15. Leopard attacks occurred in areas with high vegetation cover and abundant goats. Addressing the problem of leopard attacks on domestic animals will require developing a comprehensive mitigation plan that includes educational activities to raise awareness, measures to address grievances of affected local communities, interventions to prevent attacks on livestock, compensation programmes, and rapid response teams to ensure human and animal welfare in conflict-prone areas. Land-use planning in these peri-urban landscapes needs to facilitate the safe sharing of space between people and leopards.

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