Is Wildlife Going to the Dogs? Impacts of Feral and Free-Roaming Dogs on Wildlife Populations

In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience Vol. 61; no. 2; pp. 125 - 132
Main Authors: Young, Julie K., Olson, Kirk A., Reading, Richard P., Amgalanbaatar, Sukh, Berger, Joel
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford University of California Press 01.02.2011
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Oxford University Press
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal populations
Canis familiaris
Communicable Diseases
Company distribution practices
Competition
Costs
Disease
Distribution
Dogs
Economics
endangered species
Endemic species
Environmental aspects
Feral dogs
global threats
Livestock
Mortality
Native species
Outreach programs
OVERVIEW ARTICLES
population ecology
Predation
Predators
Public awareness
Studies
Wildlife
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife habitats
Wildlife policy
Wildlife population studies
Wildlife studies
Wolves
Mongolia
ISSN:0006-3568, 1525-3244
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-roaming and feral dogs. Here, we review wildlife-dog interactions and provide a case study that focuses on interactions documented from our research in Mongolia to underscore the need for studies designed to best determine how dogs affect native wildlife and especially imperiled populations. We suggest additional research, public awareness campaigns, and the exclusion of dogs from critical wildlife habitat. The application of scientific findings to management and enhanced public outreach programs will not only facilitate recovery and maintenance of wildlife populations globally but also has the potential to reduce economic losses.
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ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1525/bio.2011.61.2.7