Would you like him on your salad? Why not?

Biological Control Some farmers prefer to release a predator to control the number of pests. However, it is important to think about the effect of the predator on the rest of the food web.

Above: Ladybird Larvae can eat thousands of aphids (greenfly). Left: Cane toads eat sugar cane beetles

The story of Australia and its Rabbits

Common name Rabbit, European wild rabbit. Scientific name Oryctolagus cuniculus. Status Rabbits are declared an established pest animal under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. A person may keep any kind of rabbit, other than the wild rabbit in Victoria. A maximum of 30 pet rabbits may be kept at one time. A permit is required for commercial farming of domestic rabbits. A brief history of the European wild rabbit .. the rabbit menace in Australia today is so great that it would be almost impossible to exaggerate its possibilities. (1935). 1859: 24 wild rabbits released at Barwon Park by Thomas Austin rabbits spread across Australia at about 130 km per year some farms were abandoned because of rabbits as early as 1881 1926: 10 billion rabbits in Australia 1944: 104,000,000 million rabbit skins/carcases exported from Australia 1952-1954: Myxomatosis killed 99.8% of rabbits Myxo virus attenuates/rabbit show resistance to the virus, rabbits breed up again, spreading into new areas and re-colonising old warren sites 1990: Australias rabbit population about 600 million rabbits cost agriculture and the environment millions of dollars each year 1996-1998: Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) rabbits reduced by >50% in arid areas 1996 2003: Rabbit Buster, (a coordinated Landcare/NRE group integrated rabbit control program) rabbits reduced by 30% in Victoria (1999) RCD and integrated rabbit control used together in large-scale group campaigns has seen some areas aiming to become rabbit free.

An ecosystem consists of communities of plants, animals and microorganisms that interact with each other and their physical environment. Biodiversity is a measure of the: Number of species Number of individuals of each species Genetic variation of each species present

The habitat of an organism is the place that it lives. An ecological niche is an organisms interactions with its physical habitat and other organisms in that habitat.

If two species occupy the same niche they will compete until one species is displaced. Species are usually forced to occupy a niche smaller than their fundamental niche.

In the past 600 million years there have been five major extinction events. The most recent is due to mankind.

Reasons for conservation Economic

Ecological

Ethical

Aesthetic

Reasons for conservation Economic Ecosystems provide us with raw materials e. timber. Services eg. decay and soil formation, climate regulation. Ecological

Ethical

Aesthetic

Reasons for conservation Economic Ecosystems provide us with raw materials e. timber. Services eg. decay and soil formation, climate regulation. Ecological Keystone species eg. wolves, deer and forestry.

Ethical

Aesthetic

Reasons for conservation Economic Ecosystems provide us with raw materials e. timber. Services eg. decay and soil formation, climate regulation. Ecological Keystone species eg. wolves, deer and forestry.

Ethical

We have a responsibility to maintain biodiversity for future generations.

Aesthetic

Reasons for conservation Economic Ecosystems provide us with raw materials e. timber. Services eg. decay and soil formation, climate regulation. Ecological Keystone species eg. wolves, deer and forestry.

Ethical

We have a responsibility to maintain biodiversity for future generations.

Aesthetic They make us happy! Dont forget even a lion depends on every other organism in its ecosystem.