The ecological importance of crocodylians: towards evidence‐based justification for their conservation
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- Ruchira Somaweera
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Floreat WA 6014 Australia
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- James Nifong
- IFAS‐Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center, University of Florida Fort Lauderdale FL 33314 USA
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- Adam Rosenblatt
- University of North Florida 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville FL 32224 USA
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- Mathew L. Brien
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Department of Environment and Science Cairns QLD 4870 Australia
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- Xander Combrink
- Department of Nature Conservation Tshwane University of Technology Pretoria South Africa
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- Ruth M. Elsey
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Grand Chenier LA 70643 USA
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- Gordon Grigg
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia QLD 4072 Australia
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- William E. Magnusson
- Coordenação da Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional da Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus 69067 Brazil
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- Frank J. Mazzotti
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Everglades Research and Education Center, University of Florida Gainesville FL 32603 USA
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- Ashley Pearcy
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of BioScience Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
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- Steven G. Platt
- Wildlife Conservation Society ‐ Myanmar Program Yangon Myanmar
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- Matthew H. Shirley
- Tropical Conservation Institute Florida International University Miami FL 33181 USA
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- Marisa Tellez
- Crocodile Research Coalition Maya Beach Belize
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- Jan van der Ploeg
- Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
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- Grahame Webb
- Wildlife Management International Karama NT 0812 Australia
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- Rom Whitaker
- The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust & Centre for Herpetology Mahabalipuram 603104 India
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- Bruce L. Webber
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Floreat WA 6014 Australia
説明
<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p>Large‐bodied predators are well represented among the world's threatened and endangered species. A significant body of literature shows that in terrestrial and marine ecosystems large predators can play important roles in ecosystem structure and functioning. By contrast, the ecological roles and importance of large predators within freshwater ecosystems are poorly understood, constraining the design and implementation of optimal conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems. Conservationists and environmentalists frequently promulgate ecological roles that crocodylians are assumed to fulfil, but often with limited evidence supporting those claims.</jats:p><jats:p>Here, we review the available information on the ecological importance of crocodylians, a widely distributed group of predominantly freshwater‐dwelling, large‐bodied predators. We synthesise information regarding the role of crocodylians under five criteria within the context of modern ecological concepts: as indicators of ecological health, as ecosystem engineers, apex predators, keystone species, and as contributors to nutrient and energy translocation across ecosystems. Some crocodylians play a role as indicators of ecosystem health, but this is largely untested across the order Crocodylia. By contrast, the role of crocodylian activities in ecosystem engineering is largely anecdotal, and information supporting their assumed role as apex predators is currently limited to only a few species. Whether crocodylians contribute significantly to nutrient and energy translocation through cross‐ecosystem movements is unknown.</jats:p><jats:p>We conclude that most claims regarding the importance of crocodylians as apex predators, keystone species, ecosystem engineers, and as contributors to nutrient and energy translocation across ecosystems are mostly unsubstantiated speculation, drawn from anecdotal observations made during research carried out primarily for other purposes. There is a paucity of biological research targeted directly at: understanding population dynamics; trophic interactions within their ecological communities; and quantifying the short‐ and long‐term ecological impacts of crocodylian population declines, extirpations, and recoveries. Conservation practices ideally need evidence‐based planning, decision making and justification. Addressing the knowledge gaps identified here will be important for achieving effective conservation of crocodylians.</jats:p>
収録刊行物
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- Biological Reviews
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Biological Reviews 95 (4), 936-959, 2020-03-10
Wiley