Erick Lundgren
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Articles by Erick Lundgren
بين الحماية والمكافحة.. لماذا تعيش هذه الحيوانات في أستراليا بينما تختفي من العالم؟
للاستماع إلى أحدث التقارير الصوتية والبودكاست، اضغطوا على الرابط التالي. تعيش في أستراليا أعداد كبيرة من الحيوانات التي أُدخلت إلى البلاد خلال القرنين الماضيين، مثل الجمال والخيول والجاموس المائي والماعز والأبقار والغزلان. وقد أُحضرت في الأصل لأغراض النقل أو الزراعة أو الصيد، قبل أن تنشئ مجموعات برية مستقلة في الطبيعة. وتنفق الحكومات الأسترالية ملايين الدولارات سنوياً للحد من أعداد هذه الحيوانات بسبب تأثيرها على النباتات والأنظمة البيئية المحلية من خلال الرعي والدوس والمنافسة على الموارد.
Australia has become a 'last refuge' for these unwanted species
IN BRIEF Camels, banteng and some deer thrive in Australia while declining or disappearing elsewhere. Experts argue conservation should weigh both ecological harm and extinction risk. Millions of large feral animals roam Australia. Pigs, camels, deer, horses, water buffalo, cattle and goats were introduced deliberately as transport, livestock or to hunt. Many have since established wild populations.
Feral – and threatened? Endangered camels, banteng and hog deer have found an unexpected refuge in Australia
Millions of large feral animals roam Australia. Pigs, camels, deer, horses, water buffalo, cattle and goats were introduced deliberately as transport, livestock or to hunt. Many have since established wild populations. Governments spend millions every year trying to keep feral animal numbers down because these animals can have strong effects on ecosystems by eating plants and trampling. In recent decades, populations of these largely herbivorous feral species have grown.
Predator-prey temporal niche partitioning under human disturbance: a meta-analysis - Nature Communications
Abstract Human disturbances are modifying animal behavior in ecosystems worldwide, with the potential to reshape species interactions. For instance, human-induced shifts in diel activity may disrupt the alignment of daily activity patterns between interacting species and destabilize temporal niche partitioning.
Native and Alien Ungulates in North America: Potential for Restoring Herbivore Diversity and Functions
Aim Large herbivores play key roles in ecosystems by promoting plant diversity, dispersing seeds, regulating nutrient cycling, and shaping vegetation structure. Since the Late Pleistocene, their declines have led to profound ecosystem changes. While often viewed as problematic, alien herbivores may partly compensate for these losses; yet their spatial contributions remain poorly understood.
Categories, impacts, and the politics of naming in conservation: Reply to Schwartz and Simberloff
COMMENT Categories, impacts, and the politics of naming in conservation: Reply to Schwartz and Simberloff Erick J. Lundgren, Corresponding Author Erick J. Lundgren Centre for Open Science & Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Correspondence Erick J. Lundgren, Centre for Open Science & Synthesis in Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada.
Extinctions of Australian mammals have long been blamed on foxes and cats-but where's the evidence?
In 1938, zoologist Ellis Le Geyt Troughton mourned that Australia's "gentle and specialized creatures" were "unable to cope with changed conditions and introduced enemies." The role of these "enemies"—namely, foxes and feral cats—in driving dozens of Australia's animals towards extinction has solidified into a scientific consensus. This is a simple and plausible story: wily new predators arrive, decimating unwary native mammals.
Extinctions of Australian mammals have long been blamed on foxes and cats - but where’s the evidence?
In 1938, zoologist Ellis Le Geyt Troughton mourned that Australia’s “gentle and specialized creatures” were “unable to cope with changed conditions and introduced enemies”. The role of these “enemies” – namely, foxes and feral cats – in driving dozens of Australia’s animals towards extinction has solidified into a scientific consensus. This is a simple and plausible story: wily new predators arrive, decimating unwary native mammals.
The Late‐Quaternary Extinctions Gave Rise to Functionally Novel Herbivore Assemblages
1 Introduction Large herbivores (here terrestrial, mammalian herbivores ≥ 10 kg [Owen-Smith 2013]) affect ecological processes, such as vegetation dynamics, fire regimes and nutrient fluxes via herbivory and non-trophic effects (together, herbivore impacts) (Pringle et al. 2023). Large herbivores and their impacts have been ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems across the world for at least 50 million years (Janis 2008; Smith et al. 2010), and have been a key driver of ecological processes.
Functional Traits of the World's Late Quaternary Terrestrial Mammalian Predators
1 Introduction Terrestrial mammalian predators have influenced the structures and function of terrestrial ecosystems for millions of years (Van Valkenburgh et al. 2016). Despite their importance, many medium- (1–15 kg) and large-sized predators (>15 kg) are among the most threatened taxa on Earth, a pattern driven predominantly by ongoing habitat loss, prey depletion and direct hunting (Ripple et al. 2014; Wallach, Ripple, and Carroll 2015).
Trade-offs beget trade-offs: Causal analysis of mammalian population dynamics
Abstract Survival and reproduction strategies in mammals are determined by trade-offs between life history traits. In turn, the unique configuration of traits that characterizes mammalian species gives rise to species-specific population dynamics. The dependence of population dynamics on life history has been primarily studied as the relationship between population density and size-related traits.
Long-term biotic homogenization in the East African Rift System over the last 6 million years of hominin evolution - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Abstract Eastern Africa preserves the most complete record of human evolution anywhere in the world but we have little knowledge of how long-term biogeographic dynamics in the region influenced hominin diversity and distributions. Here, we use spatial beta diversity analyses of mammal fossil records from the East African Rift System to reveal long-term biotic homogenization (increasing compositional similarity of faunas) over the last 6 Myr.
Preventing extinction in an age of species migration and planetary change
INTRODUCTION The redistribution of organisms through human introductions has provided opportunities for a number of species outside their historic ranges. Many of these species are threatened or extinct in their native ranges but are thriving in their new ranges, presenting a conservation paradox (Kiacz & Brightsmith, 2021; Lees & Bell, 2008; Lundgren et al., 2018; Marchetti & Engstrom, 2016).
Zoogeochemistry of a protected area: Driven by anthropogenic impacts and animal behavior
INTRODUCTION Anthropogenic activities have a pervasive and profound effect on nutrient cycles (e.g., global nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] cycles) (Vitousek, Aber, et al., 1997; Vitousek, Mooney, et al., 1997). One of the primary mechanisms through which humans alter elemental cycles is the direct release and transfer of elements into ecosystems, for example, via burning fossil fuels or the application of fertilizers (Vitousek, Aber, et al., 1997).
Horses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants – but our new research shows they’re no worse than native animals - Sporting Shooter
By Erick Lundgren, Queensland University of Technology Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen as “invasive” species which damage native plants. My colleagues and I published new research in Science testing this assumption and found it isn’t true. Instead, both native and introduced species of plant-eating megafauna (weighing over 45 kilos) have similar impacts on plants.
Meta-analysis shows that wild large herbivores shape ecosystem properties and promote spatial heterogeneity - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Abstract Megafauna (animals ≥45 kg) have probably shaped the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems for millions of years with pronounced impacts on biogeochemistry, vegetation, ecological communities and evolutionary processes. However, a quantitative global synthesis on the generality of megafauna effects on ecosystems is lacking.
Horses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants - but our new research shows they’re no worse than native animals
Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen as “invasive” species which damage native plants. My colleagues and I published new research in Science testing this assumption and found it isn’t true. Instead, both native and introduced species of plant-eating megafauna (weighing over 45 kilos) have similar impacts on plants. The effects of introduced megafauna on plants can drive negative public sentiment towards the species.
Horses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants. New research shows they're no worse than native animals
Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen as "invasive" species which damage native plants. My colleagues and I published new research in Science testing this assumption and found it isn't true. Instead, both native and introduced species of plant-eating megafauna (weighing over 45 kilos) have similar impacts on plants. The effects of introduced megafauna on plants can drive negative public sentiment towards the species.
Functional traits-not nativeness-shape the effects of large mammalian herbivores on plant communities
Research Article INTRODUCED SPECIES Erick J.
Horses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants - but our new research shows they’re no worse than native animals
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Horses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants - but our new research shows they’re no worse than native animals
Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen as “invasive” species which damage native plants. My colleagues and I published new research in Science testing this assumption and found it isn’t true. Instead, both native and introduced species of plant-eating megafauna (weighing over 45 kilos) have similar impacts on plants. The effects of introduced megafauna on plants can drive negative public sentiment towards the species.
Functional traits-not nativeness-shape the effects of large mammalian herbivores on plant communities
Published In Science Volume 383 | Issue 6682 2 February 2024 Article versions Submission history Received: 21 February 2023 Accepted: 30 November 2023 Published in print: 2 February 2024 Permissions Request permissions for this article. Acknowledgments We thank R. Buitenwerf and J. Kerby for help in designing analyses. We thank A. D. Wallach, S. Archibald, and three anonymous reviewers for helpful feedback on earlier drafts.
Prey responses to foxes are not determined by nativeness
‘The wise do not let themselves be tricked a second time' The Old Rat, Aesop's Fables Introduction Introduced predators are considered key drivers of the decline and extinction of their native prey (Doherty et al. 2016). This notion is founded on the idea that lengthy periods of reciprocal coevolution are necessary for stable species interactions (Carthey and Banks 2014).
Worldwide Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene population declines in extant megafauna are associated with Homo sapiens expansion rather than climate change | Nature Communications
Abstract The worldwide extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene is evident from the fossil record, with dominant theories suggesting a climate, human or combined impact cause. Consequently, two disparate scenarios are possible for the surviving megafauna during this time period - they could have declined due to similar pressures, or increased in population size due to reductions in competition or other biotic pressures.
From meerkat school to whale-tail slapping and oyster smashing, how clever predators shape their world
In the 1980s a single humpback whale in the Gulf of Maine developed the "lobtail feeding method." This unique hunting method of slapping the water's surface appears to drive fish into dense schools, making it easier to consume them. Lobtail feeding caught on. Now many humpback whales are doing it. Ecologists have long thought animals acted on instinct alone. But a growing body of evidence shows many animals, much like us, have complex brains and social lives.
From meerkat school to whale-tail slapping and oyster smashing, how clever predators shape their world
In the 1980s a single humpback whale in the Gulf of Maine developed the “lobtail feeding method”. This unique hunting method of slapping the water’s surface appears to drive fish into dense schools, making it easier to consume them. Lobtail feeding caught on. Now many humpback whales are doing it. Ecologists have long thought animals acted on instinct alone. But a growing body of evidence shows many animals, much like us, have complex brains and social lives.
Preventing extinction in an age of species migration and planetary change
Abstract International and national conservation policies almost exclusively focus on conserving species in their historic native ranges, thus excluding species that have dispersed on their own accord or have been introduced by people.
Mountain lion and donkey
A mountain lion stands over its prey, a wild donkey or burro, in Death Valley National Park.
Mountain lion and donkey
A mountain lion stands over its prey, a wild donkey or burro, in Death Valley National Park.
Worldwide late-Quaternary population declines in extant megafauna are due to Homo sapiens rather than climate
New Results doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.13.503826 Abstract The worldwide loss of large animal species over the past 100,000 years is evident from the fossil record, with climate and human impact as the most likely causes of megafauna extinctions. To help distinguish between these two scenarios, we analysed whole-genome sequence data of 142 species to infer their population size histories during the Quaternary.
Feral equids’ varied effects on ecosystems-Response
Letters Erick J. Lundgren1,2,3,*, Daniel Ramp1, Jianguo Wu4,5, Martin Sluk6, Karla T. Moeller4, Juliet C. Stromberg4, Arian D. Wallach1 1Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia. 2Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. 3Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife
The wells dramatically increase water availability in the desert. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation is part of a nonprofit network of newsrooms that taps into academia to write about issues of national concern. The opinions expressed are solely those of the authors. Learn more about The Conversation at https://theconversation.com/us/who-we-are.
Here’s Why We Need Feral Donkeys: Ass Holes Original
By Erick Lundgren, Arian Wallach, and Daniel Ramp In the heart of the world’s deserts—some of the most expansive wild places left on Earth—roam herds of feral donkeys and horses. These are the descendants of a once-essential but now-obsolete labour force. These wild animals are generally considered a threat to the natural environment, and have been the target of mass eradication and lethal control programs in Australia.
Equids engineer desert water availability
Report View ORCID ProfileErick J. Lundgren1,2,3,*, View ORCID ProfileDaniel Ramp1, View ORCID ProfileJuliet C. Stromberg4, View ORCID ProfileJianguo Wu4,5, Nathan C. Nieto6,† (deceased), View ORCID ProfileMartin Sluk7, View ORCID ProfileKarla T. Moeller4, View ORCID ProfileArian D. Wallach1 1Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife
In the heart of the world’s deserts – some of the most expansive wild places left on Earth – roam herds of feral donkeys and horses. These are the descendants of a once-essential but now-obsolete labour force. These wild animals are generally considered a threat to the natural environment, and have been the target of mass eradication and lethal control programs in Australia.
Equids engineer desert water availability
Digging for water Water is scarce in dryland ecosystems. Some larger animals in these regions dig wells that may provide water to other species. This behavior may have been common among megafauna that are now extinct, especially in North and South America, where megafaunal extinctions were the most severe. Lundgren et al. tested whether feral equids (horses and donkeys) reintroduced to desert regions in the North American southwest dig wells that provide ecosystem-level benefits.
Introduced herbivores restore Late Pleistocene ecological functions
Significance Humans have caused extinctions of large-bodied mammalian herbivores over the past ∼100,000 y, leading to cascading changes in ecosystems. Conversely, introductions of herbivores have, in part, numerically compensated for extinction losses. However, the net outcome of the twin anthropogenic forces of extinction and introduction on herbivore assemblages has remained unknown.
Introduced herbivores restore Late Pleistocene ecological functions
The health span of supercentenarians might be partly explained by the expansion of T cells that kill infected or abnormal cells.
Introduced megafauna are rewilding the Anthropocene
The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties. Research and Editors Choice Introduced megafauna are rewilding the Anthropocene Erick J. Lundgren PDF PDF Share Abstract Large herbivorous mammals, already greatly reduced by the late‐Pleistocene extinctions, continue to be threatened with decline. However, many herbivorous megafauna (body mass ≥ 100 kg) have populations outside their native ranges.
Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife
In the heart of the world’s deserts – some of the most expansive wild places left on Earth – roam herds of feral donkeys and horses. These are the descendants of a once-essential but now-obsolete labour force. These wild animals are generally considered a threat to the natural environment, and have been the target of mass eradication and lethal control programs in Australia.
Conservation Biology
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From feral camels to 'cocaine hippos', large animals are rewilding the world
These immigrant populations have come to be regarded as "invaders" and "aliens" that threaten pristine nature. But for many species, migration may just be a way to survive the global extinction crisis. In our recently published study, we found that one of the Earth's most imperilled group of species is hanging on in part thanks to introduced populations. Megafauna - plant-eating terrestrial mammals weighing more than 100kg - have established in new and unexpected places.
From feral camels to 'cocaine hippos', large animals are rewilding the world
Throughout history, humans have taken plants and animals with them as they travelled the world. Those that survived the journey to establish populations in the diaspora have found new opportunities as they integrate into new ecosystems. These immigrant populations have come to be regarded as “invaders” and “aliens” that threaten pristine nature. But for many species, migration may just be a way to survive the global extinction crisis.
A large-scale environmental flow experiment for riparian restoration in the Colorado River delta
A large-scale environmental flow experiment for riparian restoration in the Colorado River delta Ecological Engineering By: Patrick B. Shafroth, Karen Schlatter, Martha Gomez-Sapiens, Erick Lundgren, Matthew R. Grabau, Jorge Ramirez-Hernandez, J. Eliana Rodriguez-Burgeueno, and Karl W. Flessa Links Abstract Managing streamflow is a widely-advocated approach to provide conditions necessary for seed germination and seedling establishment of trees in the willow family (Salicaceae).
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