FOX CONTROL AND ROCK-WALLABY POPULATION-DYNAMICS - II - AN UPDATE

Five remnant populations of rock-wallabies (Petrogale lateralis) in th e Western Australian wheatbelt have been the subjects of an experiment designed to assess the impact of fox predation on the population dyna mics of this species. The effect of a fox-control programme, initiated in 1982 at two rock-wallaby sites, was first assessed in 1986 along w ith three other sites not subject to fox control. It was concluded tha t fox predation was the principal factor limiting the size and distrib ution of P. lateralis populations. In 1990 after a further four years of fox control, the experiment was reassessed and a comprehensive stat istical analysis of the data set confirmed this conclusion. These resu lts reinforce the need for conservation authorities across Australia t o implement fox-control programmes to assure the survival of rock-wall aby populations (and other likewise-threatened species).