Top-predator control-induced trophic cascades: an alternative hypothesis to the conclusion of Colman et al

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
• Main Author: Allen, Benjamin L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Royal Society Publishing 2015
• Subjects: Canis lupus dingo; feral cat; mesopredator release; red fox; trophic cascade; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q3803/top-predator-control-induced-trophic-cascades-an-alternative-hypothesis-to-the-conclusion-of-colman-et-al; https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1251

Colman et al. (2014 Proc. R. Soc. B 281, 20133094. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.3094)) Recently argued that observed positive relationships between dingoes and small mammals were a result of top-down processes whereby lethal dingo control reduced dingoes and increased mesopredators and herbivores, which then suppressed small mammals. Here, I show that the prerequisite negative effects of dingo control on dingoes were not shown, and that the same positive relationships observed may simply represent well-known Bottom-up processes whereby more generalist predators are found in places with more of their preferred prey. Identification of top-predator control-induced trophic cascades first requires demonstration of some actual effect of control on predators, typically possible only through manipulative experiments with the ability to identify cause and effect.