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The illusion of nature: perception and the reality of natural landscapes, as illustrated by vertebrate fauna in the Northern Territory, Australia
Author(s) -
Woinarski John C. Z.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
ecological management and restoration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.472
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1442-8903
pISSN - 1442-7001
DOI - 10.1111/emr.12083
Subject(s) - vertebrate , fauna , ecology , introduced species , mammal , biomass (ecology) , biology , ecosystem , invasive species , natural (archaeology) , geography , paleontology , biochemistry , gene
Summary Biomass figures are compared for common native vertebrate species and common non‐native vertebrate species (including fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species) across the Northern Territory, an area of ostensibly, largely unmodified natural system. The total biomass of the considered non‐native species very substantially surpasses that of the common native vertebrate species considered; hence, the perception that this is a largely intact natural system is, to some extent, an illusion. This preponderance of biomass of non‐native species may help explain the increasing evidence of ecosystem stress and decline of native species. An integrity index based on the relative biomass of native and non‐native species may provide insight into the status and trends of ecological systems across different regions.