Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00031:body:0:p11
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00031
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 29940–32912

of rabbits has been extensively studied throughout Australia, but the interactions between rabbits and other fauna, as well as their contribution to a range of environmental processes, is still not well understood. Many studies describe economic losses to agriculture, but for the environment, very little information on the value and extent of these losses has been quantified. Further, many land managers consider rabbits to be under control through the use of biocontrol agents, but there generally is a poor understanding by some managers of how even one rabbit can significantly impact native vegetation and how integrated control measures can enhance outcomes.
There is a paucity of research about the exact contribution of rabbits to the diet of native or introduced predators and the potential trophic-cascade effect that rabbit control, or even introduced predator control, may cause (e.g. increase in rabbit numbers, augmentation in resource competition with native herbivores, increase of predation on native prey species). For example, in semi-arid Australia, rabbits have been reported as a staple (and in some cases, primary) prey species for introduced species such as feral cats and foxes, and are thought to directly influence the abundance of these predators (Read & Bowen 2001; Holden & Mutze 2002; Glen & Dickman 2005). The abundance, survival and breeding of eagles, such as the wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), had been thought to be directly related to rabbit abundance, but some recent research is proving otherwise (see Olsen et al. 2014). It is therefore imperative that more conclusive information on potential impacts is garnered.

Key actions for Objective 2 focus on improving our understanding of the impacts of rabbits and the interaction of rabbits with other species, in order to use this information to optimise integrated rabbit control measures.

Action 2.1 seeks to further investigate the interactions between rabbits, feral cats, foxes and wild dogs to enable more effective integration of control activities for these species. Research is envisaged to focus on how predator abundance fluctuates in response to rabbit control, the nature of the shift in predation to native species in response to rabbit control, and any variability in these interactions with different habitats across Australia. This research is expected to help land managers to determine and anticipate any unexpected consequences (direct and/or indirect) of proposed control actions. Such assessments may save land managers considerable flow-on remedial management costs, and help to ensure the previous control actions have a positive outcome (Bergstrom et al. 2009).
Action 2.2 seeks to further investigate the correlation between rabbits and weed species and increase our understanding of the benefits of integrated management. Previous research has suggested that high levels of grazing and soil disturbance by rabbits around warrens is likely to promote