Small native mammals eat more plant seeds than had been realised, and their loss to predators such as foxes and feral cats has likely caused significant changes to vegetation in outback Australia.
A comparison of conditions on either side of Australia’s dingo fence has revealed that extermination of these apex predators affects not only the abundance of other animals and plants, but also the quality of the soil.
UNSW scientists will reintroduce burrowing bettongs, bilbies and other native mammals into large, predator-free enclosures in the state's west, as part of a new NSW Government initiative to protect threatened species.
