Authors: David R Towns
Publish Date: 2008/12/02
Volume: 11, Issue: 7, Pages: 1719-1733
Abstract
Eradications of kiore or Pacific rats Rattus exulans from islands around New Zealand have been followed by responses from resident species of coastal plants invertebrates reptiles and seabirds These responses are compared with an invasion by ship rats Rattus rattus which devastated populations of invertebrates birds and bats Posteradication responses only approximate the effects of invasions because recovery is limited to the residual pool of native species Greater effects of kiore are indicated by adding incompatible species confined to ratfree locations The extended list includes at least 15 species of invertebrates two species of frogs tuatara Sphenodon punctatus 11 species of lizards and 9 species of seabirds The analyses indicate direct and indirect effects of kiore similar to those reported after ship rat invasions This is despite indications from the literature that kiore are the least damaging of the three commensal rat speciesI thank Ian Atkinson Grant Harper and James Russell for their useful comments on the manuscript the organisers of the conference on Rats Humans and their Impacts on Islands for their invitation to present this paper and two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments
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