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Does landscape composition influence the diets of feral cats in agroecosystems?

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Does landscape composition influence the diets of feral cats in agroecosystems?
Authors: Catherine M. Nottingham, Hannah L. Buckley, Bradley S. Case, Alistair S. Glen, Margaret C. Stanley
Source: Biological Invasions. 26:1787-1799
Publisher Information: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Subject Terms: ISLAND, 0106 biological sciences, Farms, Biodiversity & Conservation, NEW-ZEALAND, 05 Environmental Sciences, DIVERSITY, 4102 Ecological Applications, Environmental Sciences & Ecology, 41 Environmental Sciences, 01 natural sciences, MANAGEMENT, 4101 Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, Felis catus, Science & Technology, Invasive mammals, PREDATION, Ecology, 31 Biological sciences, 15 Life on Land, 4104 Environmental Management, 06 Biological Sciences, 15. Life on land, 14 Life Below Water, Pest management, Biodiversity Conservation, FOREST EDGES, BIODIVERSITY, ABUNDANCE, FELIS-CATUS, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, RESPONSES
Description: Habitat fragmentation can influence the diet of mammalian predators, potentially increasing their impact on prey species. Agroecosystems are fragmented landscapes that often have high densities of invasive mammalian predators. Feral cats are generalist predators that have successfully adapted to living in agricultural landscapes. Feral cats are known to eat rabbits, rodents, and birds, but it is unclear how landscape characteristics affect prey consumption. Here, we tested whether feral cat diet in New Zealand agroecosystems was affected by landscape composition and spatial configuration. We examined the contents of 112 feral cat gastrointestinal tracts collected from agroecosystems in different New Zealand regions over a 3-year period. We related prey richness and composition to the landscape composition and spatial configuration in a 500-ha area within which each cat was caught. Dietary analysis showed that feral cats were consuming invertebrates, birds, rodents, and rabbits, and that there were some regional and seasonal effects. No significant differences in prey richness or composition of the diet were associated with variation in landscape composition or spatial configuration. This study confirms feral cats as generalist predators that feed on a wide range of prey types in New Zealand agroecosystems, including some native species. Our study highlights the importance of further research for understanding how current conservation interventions in New Zealand, which include revegetation and rodent control, interact with feral cat populations and behaviours to impact on future biodiversity outcomes.
Document Type: Article
File Description: application/pdf
Language: English
ISSN: 1573-1464
1387-3547
DOI: 10.1007/s10530-024-03277-7
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....17293da9c873d04b8d5180213d8f87e2
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Habitat fragmentation can influence the diet of mammalian predators, potentially increasing their impact on prey species. Agroecosystems are fragmented landscapes that often have high densities of invasive mammalian predators. Feral cats are generalist predators that have successfully adapted to living in agricultural landscapes. Feral cats are known to eat rabbits, rodents, and birds, but it is unclear how landscape characteristics affect prey consumption. Here, we tested whether feral cat diet in New Zealand agroecosystems was affected by landscape composition and spatial configuration. We examined the contents of 112 feral cat gastrointestinal tracts collected from agroecosystems in different New Zealand regions over a 3-year period. We related prey richness and composition to the landscape composition and spatial configuration in a 500-ha area within which each cat was caught. Dietary analysis showed that feral cats were consuming invertebrates, birds, rodents, and rabbits, and that there were some regional and seasonal effects. No significant differences in prey richness or composition of the diet were associated with variation in landscape composition or spatial configuration. This study confirms feral cats as generalist predators that feed on a wide range of prey types in New Zealand agroecosystems, including some native species. Our study highlights the importance of further research for understanding how current conservation interventions in New Zealand, which include revegetation and rodent control, interact with feral cat populations and behaviours to impact on future biodiversity outcomes.
ISSN:15731464
13873547
DOI:10.1007/s10530-024-03277-7