Can Wild Horses Help Fight Wildfires?
Keeping the balance between herbivore prey and predators may be the key to managing catastrophic wildfires. Continue reading
Keeping the balance between herbivore prey and predators may be the key to managing catastrophic wildfires. Continue reading
from the ABC Website The New South Wales state government has recently commenced the aerial killings of 14,000 feral horses residing in Kosciuszko National Park. The goal is to meet the legislated requirement of reducing the number of horses in the park to 3,000 by 2027. This legislation was passed because NSW has the legal mandate of protecting biodiversity and because the activities of feral horses are classified as a threat to native species, such as Corroboree frogs and broad-tooth rats. This policy illustrates the normative assumptions of conservation policy-makers, which are well-captured in Michael Soulé’s famous article, “What Is… Continue reading
Robert Sleep/AAP Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen as “invasive” species which damage native plants. My colleagues and I published new research in Science testing this assumption and found it isn’t true. Instead, both native and introduced species of plant-eating megafauna (weighing over 45 kilos) have similar impacts on plants. The effects of introduced megafauna on plants can drive negative public sentiment towards the species. It’s time to change how we think of these animals. ……………………… The double standard of ‘harm’ It can be a shock to see the impact of feral pigs, deer,… Continue reading
The concept that we have to kill introduced flora and fauna to allow the “natural/native” landscape to return is not considered feasible or realistic by overseas research. Continue reading
“We agree with Linklater et al. (2002) that the peer-review process is the best mechanism for illuminating the quality of research to the public, by exposing it to criticism….- Nimmo 2007 Continue reading