The surprising benefits and apex predator list. When you think of man’s best friend, sharks, dingos and lions don’t immediately spring to mind. But new research has shown that predators – once instinctively feared by humans – have a number of important functions and play a key role in supporting our ecosystems.
.Now new evidence suggests that predators and scavengers are much more beneficial to humans than commonly believed – and their loss may have greater consequences than we have imagined.
Instead of thinking of predators, think of lions. If you had the pleasure of meeting a lion, or saw a photo or video, you might be inclined to view them as one of mans’ best friend – until they’re right in front of you. New data suggests that it’s time to start appreciating the role predators and scavengers have in our ecosystem.
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Friend not foe
With the help of birds and bats, we discovered that some animal predators saved US corn farmers over US 1 billion in pest control. In Sulawesi’s coffee plantations without birds, coffee profits are reduced by US730 per hectare. As for Australia, they showed that dingoes increase cattle productivity by reducing kangaroo populations, even when accounting for dingo predation against calves. It wouldn’t be fair to neglect their help as an agricultural service.
Our recent paper revealed recent studies across the globe on the services predators and scavengers provide, such as helping dispose of waste and reducing car crashes. Animals that eat meat play vital roles in our ecosystem.
One particular study we found was on agricultural services by flying predators, such as bat birds or insect-eating bats, who saved corn farmers over a billion dollars in pest control because they consume pest beetles and moths. In coffee plantations on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, coffee profits drop by 730 per hectare when bats are removed from coffee trees. It’s not just birds or bats that help farmers though; in Australia, dingoes reduce kangaroos populations that compete for rangeland grasses to increase cattle productivity (even when accounting for them eating calves).
Not just vermin
Dingoes have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. Many animals that prey on deer also take care of these massive waste piles that have plagued humans for decades. Feral predators like mountain lions, golden jackals, and even vultures can significantly reduce animal waste in some parts of the world.
Dingoes are also known to protect human space from car collisions. One study found that if mountain lions were brought back in the eastern United States, they would help reduce deer-vehicle collisions by 22 percent a year and save 150 lives. That’s more than $2 billion in damages saved annually!
Change the conversation
Even though these animals are fascinating and provide so much to the ecosystem, they have costly consequences as well. For example, there was recently a shark attack that cost several people their lives and made international headlines.
These incidents are rare but often garner significant media attention when they happen. Regardless, many predators and scavengers are declining due to their increased risk of being killed in a hunt focused on revenue instead of conservation. It’s time for a change in the conservation conversation; it’s time for us to focus on the services these species provide us rather than simply construing them as a threat.
It was once believed that dingoes only served as a threat to livestock and developed into a pest without providing any benefits. However, more research shows that they provide a mixture of both costs and benefits, and in some cases the benefits outweigh the costs.
While predators eliminate livestock waste while scavengers help reduce disease risk, mountain lions would keep down deer-vehicle collisions by 22 percent a year in their absence. Without vultures or golden jackals (of Serbia!), there are mountains of trash left for people to collect which make working ecologically much harder. One study shows that mountain lions alone could save 150 lives and an estimated US$2 billion in damages each year.
These Authors
This sentence is too long and has too many qualifiers. The first sentence should talk about Christopher O’Bryan, the professor at School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, along with his university name. Eve McDonald-Madden should be in a later sentence, followed by James Watson.
Despite the benefits they provide, all predators and scavengers are costing us in terms of financial resources and in terms of our personal safety. From a purely economic standpoint, these changes can be difficult to manage especially for local wildlife populations that are declining quickly because of their poor reputation and changing climate. While we may rightly or wrongly fear these animals, one thing’s for certain—we need them.
Mick Walsh was a Senior Lecturer for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland. Kenneth Ock well is an Associate Professor at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland.
Christopher O’Bryan is an associate professor at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland. Kurt Welch is a professor at the College of Innovation and Design, Boise State University. Dr Hawthorne Beyer was a lecturer at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland. Alexander Braczkowski was a postdoctoral fellow in geology at the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland.
