The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a common meso-carnivore native to North America, Europe, Asia, and some parts of northern Africa. Being adaptable and plastic while having a generalist diet and habitat selection, the red fox is perfectly capable of surviving and reproducing in almost any environment. For the same reasons that it is widespread and pertinent in its native range, it can be extremely invasive and disruptive in areas that it is introduced to. It is especially invasive in the Oceania region, where its disturbance to the natural ecosystem has earned the red fox to be ranked as the 99th most invasive species in the world (Invasive Species Specialist Group 2010).
Background Information
Being completely capable of inhabiting almost any environmental condition, the red fox is very widespread throughout its distribution in the northern hemisphere. Red fox tend to favor the fragmented and open landscapes that are common throughout the heavily cultivated and developed northern temperate regions because of the increased availability of cover, food, and den sites. Established populations in tundra and desert regions, as well as even urban environments, exemplify the wide-ranging abilities of this species to survive and be fecund. The tropics and unavailable niches due to occupancy by other meso-carnivores seem to be the only physical barriers and restrictions to the distribution of red foxes. (Invasive Species Specialist Group 2010). Isolation caused by the tropic climates in southeast Asia and island geography naturally secluded red foxes from inhabiting Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, but European colonization of the Oceania region led to the introduction of the species to an ecosystem primed to be exploited.
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Did you know that you happen to be surrounded by invasive species? These species are animals that come into areas they do not belong in. The articles, “Invaders among Us,” and “Invader Alert,” show this. They harm the environment, cost tons of money in damage and extermination, and they have to be prevented.
The wolf is the largest member of the dog family Canidae, making it a real pest if it goes unchecked in agricultural systems. The wolf is one of the most efficient and effective predators in this region, preying on large ungulates; elk, deer, big horn sheep, moose, and even bison and cattle; however they will eat small mammals if there is no other food source available. Prior to 2002 estimates of the loss of livestock due to wolves were 19 cattle and 68 sheep, however in 2002, 33 cattle, 71 sheep and 1 dog were confirmed killed by wolves (Wyoming Wolf Management Plan, 2003). These kills are significant...
Doherty, T., Dickman, C., Johnson, C., Legge, S., Ritchie, E. and Woinarski, J. (2016). Impacts and management of feral cats Felis catus in Australia. Mammal Review, 47(2), pp.83-97.
Because of the increasing awareness of the negative impact deer have, they are recognised as a pest animal in many Australian states. Legislation is still varied between different regions of Australia, and specific control measures distinguish between the various species of deer, some being more harmful than others. The following methods are used to control feral deer numbers in affected areas.
“... prairie dogs from a given area are a threat of injury to park visitors who fall into holes.” Furthermore, this evidence supports that because of prairie dogs harmful ways on the
All discussions regarding the phenomenon of invasive species will inherently result in the consensus that they are an unwanted or an even evil entity. Ever since the age of exploration humans have been primary dispersers of these so called “exotic” species (Mooney and Cleland 2001). Famous examples include the release of cane toads in Australia (Urban et al., 2008); the rainbow trout (Fausch 2008) and the Japanese Kudzu vine in the southern U.S. (Blaustein 2001) and zebra mussels in the great lakes of Canada (Nalepa and Schloesser 1992). However, documented marine invasions compared with
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Jackson (2015) mentioned that the findings in their analyses were very generic and that more research needed to be conducted to fully understand the interactions of invasive species and the effects invasive species have on various environments. It was also suggested that there should be more research conducted outside of the United States since 43% of the papers used in this study completed their research within the United States (Jackson, 2015). Hoopes et al. (2013) mentioned several limitations to their research as well. There was missing data for a large number of refuges which caused an issue when looking at trends and patterns within the data. Also, as the data was collected from numerous undergraduate students across the United States, there was some error due to compiling and entering data incorrectly. Lastly, land-history was not considered in this study which could have an effect on the end
A species in particular that I have researched is the red fox or Vulpes vulpes as it is known in the scientific community. The animal is native to North America, Asia and Europe where they thrive in habitats ranging from temperate deserts to boreal forests, but its range spans the entire globe (Tesky 1995). The red fox is omnivorous which means that it feeds on animals and plants equally, which, creates impacts on both types of populations within its habitat. What makes the red fox invasive is its introduction to Australia and Eastern parts of the United States, as a result of migration of Europeans t...
When we hear about an endangered species we auto, automatically think of great blue whales, African elephants, polar bears, pandas, etc. These are highly publicized by the media and documentary makers. People are aware of this endangered species but not of the less popular endangered species that are in our own backyard. Based on published historic range and population there is roughly 317 animal and plant species endangered in California. The endangered species are protected under the federal and state Endangered Species Act. Under this act species are protected from being taken from their environment, creates a safe habitat for animals to thrive again, restore population numbers, etc. One of the animals in central California that is listed as being endanger is Vulpes macrotis mutica, commonly known as the San Joaquin kit fox. The San Joaquin Kit Fox habitat has been listed by the United States National Wildlife Services as endangered since March third, 1967. The kit fox has been in the endangered, due to its inability to adapt to the changes in their habitat due to humanity. After 46 years a healthy San Joaquin kit fox population is yet to be achieved.
Mason, Robert A. B. "Wild Mammals In Captivity: Principles And Techniques For Zoo Management, 2Nd Edition." Austral Ecology38.8 (2013): e26. Environment Index. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Invasive species, (also known as invasive alien species or simply alien species) are defined as any organism (plant, animal, pathogen, or other living thing) that is alien (non-native) to an ecosystem, which can cause adverse economical, ecological, or health effects to native species and/or humans. The roots of these problems all stem from the massive negative ecological impact these organisms are having on the environment (CBD, 2009). For all animal extinctions where the cause is known since the 1600’s, invasive alien species have been a contributing factor 40% of the time (CBD, 2006); the second most contributing factor to extinctions after loss of habitat (GC, 2013). By eliminating native species through competition for resources, predation, and transmittal of disease, invasive species continue to reduce biodiversity in almost all ecosystems around the world (CBD, 2009). In the future, this problem may worsen, and if no action is taken, could lead to a cascading ecological problem so large that whole communities or even ecosystems could collapse.
Slowly, the disruption of these delicate balances are taking their toll on the native habitats and transforming small temporary changes into permanent problems. The area of environmental modification that will be emphasized in this paper is the introduction of non-native species to new habitats and the resulting effects on that habitat; specifically, the introduction of the European Rabbit to Australia.
One huge impact of global warming is the change in animals’ habitats. When the earth’s temperature is increasing, it creates the change of weather conditions in a certain area, which causes some kinds of animals in this area to live with many difficulties, or sometimes those kinds of animals are forced to move to new region when they cannot handle the difficulties. The arctic fox is an example for this situation. According to the article “How Does Global Warming Affect Wildlife,” arctic foxes prefer to live in the cooler environment while their habitat is getting warmer and warmer due to global warming, so arctic foxes have to leave their own home to seek a more suitable area (National W...
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.