Rabbits have contributed to the extinction of many native plant and animal species. Wild rabbits compete with livestock for available pasture and kill young trees and shrubs. Their warrens contribute to soil erosion by removing vegetation and disturbing soil. In New Zealand wild rabbits have caused significant land degradation, particularly in the drier pastoral country of the South Island. The impact of wild rabbits is particularly serious in dry inland areas where trees and shrubs do not germinate regularly.
Rabbits are effective at finding and eating tree seedlings and shrubs.
Many species of arid-zone trees and shrubs are at risk of extinction unless rabbit numbers are permanently reduced to much lower levels. Wild rabbits are implicated in the decline of many species of native animals. In the south-east of South Australia, the wombat population declined markedly once rabbits invaded the area. We now know that bilbies usually disappear from an area within 10 years of rabbits arriving. The bilby is now endangered and only found in isolated areas of central Australia where rabbits are absent.