The fox and the turtle: is predator control in riparian systems effective for threatened species

我们讨论了引入的捕食者(狐狸)对受威胁物种的保护影响。很少有研究涉及野生捕食者对河岸物种的影响。我们将通过研究海龟的人口统计学来实验评估野生物种控制的有效性。海龟是这类研究的理想物种，因为它们寿命很长，所以可以应用种群模型。这项工作的结果将在以下方面具有重要意义：(A)对严格的、以实验为基础的方法进行经验测试，以量化捕食者-猎物相互作用的人口效应，以及(B)为管理提供可靠的基础，可作为其他地方野生捕食者控制的模板。

We address the conservation impact of an introduced predator (the fox) on threatened species. Few studies have addressed the influence of feral predators on riparian species. We will experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of feral species control by examining demography of turtles. Turtles are an ideal species for such studies as they are long-lived, so population models can be applied. Results of this work will be significant in (a) empirical testing of rigorous, experimentally-based methodology to quantify demographic effects of predator-prey interactions, and (b) providing a robust basis for management that may serve as a template for feral predator control elsewhere.