Eradicating black rats on Palmyra Atoll uncovers eye-opening indirect effects

Discussion in 'Celebrate Biodiversity' started by Junglekeeper, Nov 12, 2020.

  1. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    5,987
    Likes Received:
    608
    Location:
    Vancouver BC Canada
    Also, from a related article (listed at the end of the article above):
     
  2. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

    Messages:
    15,597
    Likes Received:
    13,020
    Location:
    Hampshire England Zone 8b UK
    And without rats and vermin what do the birds of prey feed on. Eradication of one species always has a knock on effect !!!! What did they sing in the Lion King film, ' The circle of life'
     
    Sulev likes this.
  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

    Messages:
    10,789
    Likes Received:
    2,225
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC Canada
    That first quote "did in fact result in a resurgence of vegetation on Palmyra" is a little misleading. It goes on to say
    and
    In this case, the headline was less misleading than the quote.
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,417
    Likes Received:
    501
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    I'd assume there weren't any birds of prey; they rarely occur on small islands far offshore (the Galapagos Hawk is a rare exception, but the Galapagos are a lot larger than Palmyra). The absence of raptors is just one reason why the introduced rats were so devastating - no natural predators to keep them under control.
     
  5. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    5,987
    Likes Received:
    608
    Location:
    Vancouver BC Canada
    According to Invasive rat eradication strongly impacts plant recruitment on a tropical atoll:
     

Share This Page