Applied Population and Community Ecology: The Case of Feral Pigs in Australia

This book evaluates theory in population and community ecology using a case study of feral pigs, birds and plants in the high country of south–eastern Australia. In sequence, the book reviews the relevant theory and uses long–term research over a quarter of a century on the population ecology of feral pigs and then community ecology of birds and plants, to evaluate the theory. The book brings together into one volume, research results of many observational, experimental and modelling studies and directly compares them with those from related studies around the world. The implications of the results for future wildlife management are also discussed. Intended readers are ecologists, graduate students in ecology and wildlife management and conservation and pest managers.

Preface vii 1 Introduction 1 2 Applied Population and Community Ecology 9 3 Environment 20 4 Population Ecology of Feral Pigs 29 5 Ground Disturbance and Feral Pigs 54 6 Feral Pig Population Management 71 7 Community Ecology 97 8 The Future: Management Options 121 9 Conclusions 141 Appendix A Long–term Data on Feral Pigs and Ground Rooting in Namadgi National Park, Australia 147 Appendix B Association Matrix of Birds Observed at Study Sites in Namadgi National Park, Australia 151 References 155 Index 186 Colour plate pages fall between pp. 120 and 121

Jim Hone is an ecologist with the Institute for Applied Ecology and the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of Canberra. He has published on the ecology and management of many species including, feral pigs in temperate, montane, tropical and arid Australia, lynx and snowshoe hares in the Yukon, badgers, barn owls, red deer and Soay sheep in Britain and diseases in wildlife in Britain, New Zealand and Pakistan. He has supervised graduate students studying many species of reptiles, birds and mammals.

“The value of this book is not simply that it provides a very comprehensive case study of feral pigs in the south–east Australian highlands, but that it provides an excellent examination of population and community ecology using a thorough case study of feral pigs, native birds and ecosystems for which there are very good data.”  ( Ecological Management & Restoration , 19 May 2014) “To sum up then, here we have a very complex subject, presented in an excellent way, with plenty of figures to back up the points made. Though dry, the content really is superb, and I don’t think anyone buying it will be disappointed.”  ( Zoo Biology , 1 November 2012)