RED FOXES, VULPES-VULPES, AS BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL AGENTS FOR INTRODUCEDARCTIC FOXES, ALOPEX-LAGOPUS, ON ALASKAN ISLANDS

Fox populations introduced before 1930 for fur farming have devastated breeding avifauna on numerous islands in southern Alaska. To restore populations of the endangered Aleutian Canada Goose, seabirds, and oth er avifauna on Alaskan islands, foxes must first be removed. Arctic an d Red foxes are not sympatric on islands in Alaska, except on Nunivak Island. More than 40 years of eradication efforts have eliminated foxe s from only 21 islands. During the fox farming era Arctic Foxes inadve rtently were eliminated by later Red Fox releases on several islands. I introduced sterile Red Foxes on two Aleutian Islands in 1983 and 198 4 to determine their ability to eradicate Arctic Foxes. By the summer of 1992 some Red Foxes still remained on one island, but Arctic Foxes apparently were absent from both. Such island introductions on a broad er scale should be a valuable tool to restore native ecosystems.