The ecological impact of large carnivore restoration

该项目旨在评估由于河口鳄鱼返回澳大利亚生态系统而引起的生态变化。这是重要的，因为恢复提供了一个难得的机会，经验测试不同程度的大型食肉动物捕食压力下的生态系统过程的变化。预期成果包括更好地了解控制捕食者-生态系统相互作用强度的过程，以及量化影响这些过程所需的捕食者的生物量、社会结构和行为的能力。好处应该包括如何衡量大型食肉动物的生态作用，以及何时何地应该扑杀或保护食肉动物种群。

This project aims to assess the ecological changes that have arisen due to the repatriation of estuarine crocodiles to Australian ecosystems. It is significant because the restoration provides a rare opportunity to empirically test changes in ecosystem processes under varying degrees of large carnivore predation pressure. Expected outcomes include improved understanding of the processes that govern the strength of predator-ecosystem interactions and an ability to quantify the biomass, social structure, and behaviours of predators required to influence these processes. Benefits should include improvements in how the ecological role of large carnivores is measured, and when and where carnivore populations should be culled or conserved.