Top Predators and Population Regulation

“Scientists warn that removal from ecosystem of large carnivores like the dingo could be as detrimental as climate change Dingoes keep kangaroo and fox numbers down, which means less overgrazing and more small native animals.

“A study by researchers from Australia, the US and Europe found that removing large carnivores, which has happened worldwide in the past 200 years, causes a raft of harmful reactions to cascade through food chains and landscapes.  Small animals are picked off by feral pests, land is denuded of vegetation as herbivore numbers increase and streams and rivers are even diverted as a result of this loss of carnivores, the ecologists found.  “There is now a substantial body of research demonstrating that, alongside climate change, eliminating large carnivores is one of the most significant anthropogenic impacts on nature,” the study states.”  Source: 4thenaturesake.wordpress.com

GR:  Recent stories about predator recovery in Europe point out that going into the woods is becoming dangerous.  Just a few centuries ago we knew how to guard against large predators, but we gradually eradicated them and lost our cautious habits.  I expect that eradication will be our response to the tiniest losses to predators.

Our population continues to grow and destroy the habitats and prey required by lions and tigers and bears.  Eradication won’t require killing, it will simply occur as we remove habitat.  For top predators to survive, we must reverse human population growth and resource use.

I don’t think the much-needed regulator of human population growth will be large carnivores.  Microbes perhaps, but not bears and tigers.  We need to use our brains.  There are population control programs in the world today.  They aren’t talked about very much, but we need them to be.  We need them to become popular.  My challenge is to assemble information on current programs and post on this website.  If you have suggestions, please add them in a comment.  Thank you.