Alien predators are more dangerous than native predators to prey populations

Alien predators are widely considered to be more harmful to prey populations than native predators. To evaluate this expectation, we conducted a meta-analysis of the responses of vertebrate prey in 45 replicated and 35 unreplicated field experiments in which the population densities of mammalian and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2007-05, Vol.274 (1615), p.1237-1243
Main Authors: Salo, Pälvi, Korpimäki, Erkki, Banks, Peter B, Nordström, Mikael, Dickman, Chris R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biodiversity
Biodiversity Conservation
Birds - growth & development
Birds of prey
Conservation of Natural Resources
Ecosystem
Filter Effect
Invasive Species
Mammals
Mammals - growth & development
Materials
Population Dynamics
Population ecology
Population size
Predation Impact
Predators
Predatory Behavior
Prey Naiveté
Review
Species extinction
Vertebrates
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Summary:Alien predators are widely considered to be more harmful to prey populations than native predators. To evaluate this expectation, we conducted a meta-analysis of the responses of vertebrate prey in 45 replicated and 35 unreplicated field experiments in which the population densities of mammalian and avian predators had been manipulated. Our results showed that predator origin (native versus alien) had a highly significant effect on prey responses, with alien predators having an impact double that of native predators. Also the interaction between location (mainland versus island) and predator origin was significant, revealing the strongest effects with alien predators in mainland areas. Although both these results were mainly influenced by the huge impact of alien predators on the Australian mainland compared with their impact elsewhere, the results demonstrate that introduced predators can impose more intense suppression on remnant populations of native species and hold them further from their predator-free densities than do native predators preying upon coexisting prey.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2006.0444