The black rat (Rattus rattus) has been introduced to about 10 % of
Australian Islands, many of these are off the Western Australian Pilbara or
Kimberley coasts. In WA, they were eradicated from North and South Double,
Boomerang, Pasco and Boodie Islands in 1983-6. And subsequently on Barrow
and Middle Islands.
Feral cats were successfully eradicated from 1,020 ha Hermite Island
(Montebello Islands, an archipelago off the Pilbara coast of Western
Australia) in 1999.
Trials have been conducted for controlling house mice (Mus domesticus) on
Thevenard Island, Western Australia.
It is not only introduced animals that are a problem. Plants are also, as
many cause change of habitat. Between 1947 and 1996, for example, over 460
exotic plant species were introduced into Australia as pasture plants. Only
5% of these have proved useful as fodder, yet 13% have become major weeds,
including Para Grass, which has spread into Kakadu National Park, reducing
habitats for water birds.
Rubber Vine from Madagascar now smothers large areas of woodland and forest
(its current distribution is some 600,000 km2 , but it could potentially
spread over five times that area).
Reid
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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