Title
Dogs are more than wet kisses and tail wags: Domestic dogs as invasive species
Author(s)
G. Zapata-Ríos
Published
2018
Publisher
Animal Conservation
Abstract
Domestic dogs are the most abundant carnivore worldwide.
The size of the global dog population has been estimated
recently as almost one billion individuals, and at least 60%
of them live in rural settings (Gompper, 2014). In most parts
of the world, knowledge about populations of domestic dogs
in urban and rural areas, as well as feral populations, is still
limited. However, it is clear that domestic dogs are ubiquitous
throughout large areas, and far outnumber all other
native carnivore species combined (Young et al., 2011).
Problems with domestic dogs are not new, but many of their
impacts as invasive species have been overlooked until fairly
recently (Hughes & Macdonald, 2013). As predators, dog
populations have significant impacts on native species, and
as a consequence have the potential to alter ecosystem structure
and function in priority conservation areas. They also
can compete with native predators for prey, cause losses to
livestock, and transmit disease. Thus, the impacts of domestic
dogs can be much more far-reaching than previously
thought (Doherty et al., 2017).
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