title: Top-predator control-induced trophic cascades: an alternative hypothesis to the conclusion of Colman et al.
abstract: Colman et al. (2014 Proc. R. Soc. B 281, 20133094. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.3094)) recently argued that observed positive relationships between dingoes and small mammals were a result of top-down processes whereby lethal dingo control reduced dingoes and increased mesopredators and herbivores, which then suppressed small mammals. Here, I show that the prerequisite negative effects of dingo control on dingoes were not shown, and that the same positive relationships observed may simply represent well-known bottom-up processes whereby more generalist predators are found in places with more of their preferred prey. Identification of top-predator control-induced trophic cascades first requires demonstration of some actual effect of control on predators, typically possible only through manipulative experiments with the ability to identify cause and effect.
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia benjamin.allen@daff.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Benjamin L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D019596:Wolves
keywords: Canis lupus dingo; feral cat; mesopredator release; red fox; trophic cascade