The continuing ecological recovery of Macquarie Island demonstrates the effectiveness of starting at the bottom of the food web to generate landscape health.
An initial focus on feral cats triggered a boom in rabbit and rat populations. Eliminating rabbits, rats and mice paved the way for predator removal and triggered a revival in vegetative habitat for other animal species.
For more information see reflections on the recovery of Macquarie Island by:
- Justine Shaw in ABC News.
- Melissa Houghton in The Guardian.
Vegetation recovers on Macquarie Island after rabbit control. Image: David Hudspeth, ABC