Cat ownership in Australia is declining compared to an increasing trend of cat ownership in the United Kingdom, United States and Europe. The decline in Australia may be linked to concerns over perceived impacts of cat predation and an associated dislike of cats. However, while there are numerous studies on feral cats and their impacts on declining native fauna, the impact of pet cats on suburban wildlife or fauna in remnant bushland is relatively unknown although there is a wide perception of risk. The primary aim of this thesis was to apply the precautionary principle to the question of the putative impact of pet cats on the abundance and diversity of small mammals in urban bushland adjacent to low-density suburbia in the City of Armadale, a municipality on the south-east fringe of Perth, Western Australia. At the time of writing, Western Australia is yet to introduce state legislation governing cat control although many local councils within the state have either implemented or are in the process of implementing cat regulations. The precautionary principle was deemed an ideal approach to this question, because it provides a rationale for deciding on possible actions where both the potential risk to environmental values and the uncertainty about possible impacts are high. In such cases the precautionary principle requires two broad lines of action: firstly, detailed consultation with stakeholders to determine their perceptions of risk and the actions they are prepared to take to reduce it and, secondly, research to reduce uncertainty. With regard to stakeholder consultation, local residents were surveyed in regard to their attitudes and current cat husbandry practices. A substantial proportion of respondents within this municipality believed cat regulations were necessary (75% of owners and 95% of non-owners). At least 70% of both owners and non-owners agreed with the propositions that cats not owned by licensed breeders should be desexed, local councils should restrict the maximum number of cats that can be owned on one property and that pet cats entering nature reserves are harmful to wildlife. Most (c.85%) cat owners agreed that they would license their cats if that became compulsory. Although fewer owners (c.60%) were prepared to keep their cats on their property at all times to protect wildlife, over 80% were willing to confine their cats at night if it was required. Owners seemed to be substantially motivated by the value of these measures in reducing injury to cats and facilitating the return of lost animals rather than concern over wildlife protection. Attempts to reduce uncertainty involved (i) assessing roaming patterns of pet cats to determine the sizes of appropriate buffer zones around nature reserves, and (ii) determining species diversity, species richness and abundance of small mammals in remnant bushland adjacent to sub-divisions with varying regulations governing cat husbandry. Radio tracking results to assess cat roaming patterns showed substantial variation in home range size between cats in high density suburbia (ranged between 0.01 ha – 0.64 ha) and those in low density suburbia (ranged from 0.07 ha – 2.86ha). Larger home range sizes of cats in the rural areas (up to 2.9 ha) suggest buffer zones of up to 500 metres around nature reserves are needed to exclude almost all roaming cats. The abundance and species richness of small mammals were investigated in four areas of remnant bushland. Two were adjacent to subdivisions where cat ownership was unrestricted, one next to a subdivision where cat ownership was prohibited and the remaining one next to a subdivision where compulsory night curfew and bells on pet cats were enforced. No definitive evidence of predatory impact by pet cats on the small mammals was found. Mammal species diversity was not significantly different between sites and species richness and absolute abundance were not higher in sites where cats were restricted. Vegetation comparisons showed significant differences in the structure and species composition of the vegetation between most sites and the mammal species richness and abundance appeared linked to ground cover density in the various sites. This factor, not cat restrictions, appeared to be the primary determinant of species richness, species diversity and absolute numbers of small mammals in these sites. This study in the City of Armadale has shown that the implementation of proposed cat legislation must have a “whole of ecosystem” approach, i.e. protecting identified remnant bushland containing biodiversity from threatening processes such as plant disease and inappropriate fire, especially arson, as well as possible predations from pet cats. Habitat restoration and protection may be more important conservation activities than regulation of cats. Regulation of cats can be done at differing levels of intensity and cost, bearing in mind that this community is receptive to regulation of some aspects of cat ownership. Community education on the values of cat confinement in regards to cat welfare might increase chances of compliance.

Invasões biológicas são consideradas uma das maiores ameaças atuais à biodiversidade global. O cão doméstico é hoje o carnívoro mais abundante no mundo, e tem invadido áreas de vegetação nativa, podendo causar impactos negativos à fauna silvestre através da predação, competição e transmissão de doenças. A partir de dois extensos bancos de dados obtidos através de armadilhas fotográficas, esta dissertação pretende contribuir com o entendimento das causas e consequências da invasão por cães domésticos de remanescentes florestais e agroflorestas na Mata Atlântica. A dissertação está organizada em dois capítulos. No primeiro, usamos dados obtidos em duas paisagens rurais do Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo com diferentes proporções de florestas remanescentes, e (1) descrevemos o tipo de manejo e as características dos cães que visitam fragmentos florestais, (2) comparamos, entre estas paisagens, a frequência e horário de visitas e o tamanho de grupos de cães invasores assim como os fatores determinantes da intensidade de invasão, e (3) investigamos o impacto da intensidade de invasão sobre a distribuição de mamíferos silvestres de maior porte. No segundo capítulo, usamos dados obtidos em um mosaico agroflorestal do Sul da Bahia, e (4) verificamos se a conversão de florestas nativas em agroflorestas e a intensificação das agroflorestas favorecem a invasão por cães domésticos, e (5) se a invasão por estes animais está mais associada à presença humana nas agroflorestas do que nas florestas. Em conjunto, os resultados dessa dissertação sugerem que: (1) a intensidade da invasão por cães em paisagens antropizadas de Mata Atlântica é altíssima, tanto em termos do número de indivíduos e de visitas como em termos do número de sítios ocupados; (2) a invasão é favorecida pelo tipo de manejo dos animais, que são em grande parte criados soltos, e parece estar fortemente associada à presença do homem; (3) a intensidade de invasão afeta negativamente a distribuição de um maior número de espécies de mamíferos de maior porte do que a perda de 40% de floresta na paisagem; (4) características dos remanescentes florestais associadas à perda de habitat (quantidade e qualidade dos remanescentes) são mais importantes que a pressão de propágulo para determinar a intensidade da invasão; (5) a intensificação do manejo de agroflorestas acentua a invasão. Visto que a intensificação de agroflorestas e de outros sistemas agrícolas vem se acentuando globalmente e que, apesar da diminuição das taxas de desmatamento das florestas tropicais nos últimos anos, a maior parte das áreas remanescentes é constituída de vegetação degradada ou secundária, a quantidade de áreas susceptíveis à invasão e os danos causados por cães domésticos devem aumentar no futuro. / Biological invasions are considered one of the most important threats to global biodiversity. Domestic dogs, the most abundant carnivore in the world, are known to invade areas of native vegetation and impact wildlife through competition, predation and disease transmission. Drawing on two extensive dataset obtained through camera-trapping, this dissertation intends to contribute to the understanding of the causes and consequences of the invasion by domestic dogs of forests fragments and agroforests in the Atlantic Forest. The dissertation is organized into two chapters. In the first chapter, we use data from two rural landscapes of São Paulo Atlantic Plateau with different proportions of remaining forests, and (1) describe the management and the characteristics of dogs that visit forest fragments, (2) compare, between these landscapes, the frequency and time of visits, the size of groups of invading dogs, and the drivers of invasion intensity, and (3) investigate the impacts of invasion intensity on the distribution of native large mammals. In the second chapter, using data from an agroforestry mosaic in southern Bahia, we investigate (4) if the conversion of native forests into agroforests and agroforestry intensification favor the invasion by dogs, and (5) if invasion by these animals is more associated with human presence in agroforests than in forests. Our findings highlight that: (1) the intensity of the invasion by dogs in human-modified landscapes in the Atlantic Forest is extremely high, both in terms of the number of individuals and of visits and in terms of the number of occupied sites; (2) invasion is favored by the type of management, with dogs kept free, and seems to be strongly associated with the presence of humans; (3) invasion intensity negatively affects the distribution of a larger number of large mammals than the loss of 40% of forest in the landscape; (4) characteristics of forest fragments associated with habitat loss (quantity and quality of remnants) are more important than propagule pressure to determine the intensity of invasion; (5) management intensification in agroforests intensifies invasion. As intensification of agroforestry and other agricultural systems has increased globally and, despite the decrease in the rates of deforestation in recent years, most tropical forest remnants consist of degraded or secondary vegetation, the amount of areas susceptible to invasion and the damages caused by domestic dogs should increase in the future.

Invasões biológicas são consideradas uma das maiores ameaças atuais à biodiversidade global. O cão doméstico é hoje o carnívoro mais abundante no mundo, e tem invadido áreas de vegetação nativa, podendo causar impactos negativos à fauna silvestre através da predação, competição e transmissão de doenças. A partir de dois extensos bancos de dados obtidos através de armadilhas fotográficas, esta dissertação pretende contribuir com o entendimento das causas e consequências da invasão por cães domésticos de remanescentes florestais e agroflorestas na Mata Atlântica. A dissertação está organizada em dois capítulos. No primeiro, usamos dados obtidos em duas paisagens rurais do Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo com diferentes proporções de florestas remanescentes, e (1) descrevemos o tipo de manejo e as características dos cães que visitam fragmentos florestais, (2) comparamos, entre estas paisagens, a frequência e horário de visitas e o tamanho de grupos de cães invasores assim como os fatores determinantes da intensidade de invasão, e (3) investigamos o impacto da intensidade de invasão sobre a distribuição de mamíferos silvestres de maior porte. No segundo capítulo, usamos dados obtidos em um mosaico agroflorestal do Sul da Bahia, e (4) verificamos se a conversão de florestas nativas em agroflorestas e a intensificação das agroflorestas favorecem a invasão por cães domésticos, e (5) se a invasão por estes animais está mais associada à presença humana nas agroflorestas do que nas florestas. Em conjunto, os resultados dessa dissertação sugerem que: (1) a intensidade da invasão por cães em paisagens antropizadas de Mata Atlântica é altíssima, tanto em termos do número de indivíduos e de visitas como em termos do número de sítios ocupados; (2) a invasão é favorecida pelo tipo de manejo dos animais, que são em grande parte criados soltos, e parece estar fortemente associada à presença do homem; (3) a intensidade de invasão afeta negativamente a distribuição de um maior número de espécies de mamíferos de maior porte do que a perda de 40% de floresta na paisagem; (4) características dos remanescentes florestais associadas à perda de habitat (quantidade e qualidade dos remanescentes) são mais importantes que a pressão de propágulo para determinar a intensidade da invasão; (5) a intensificação do manejo de agroflorestas acentua a invasão. Visto que a intensificação de agroflorestas e de outros sistemas agrícolas vem se acentuando globalmente e que, apesar da diminuição das taxas de desmatamento das florestas tropicais nos últimos anos, a maior parte das áreas remanescentes é constituída de vegetação degradada ou secundária, a quantidade de áreas susceptíveis à invasão e os danos causados por cães domésticos devem aumentar no futuro. / Biological invasions are considered one of the most important threats to global biodiversity. Domestic dogs, the most abundant carnivore in the world, are known to invade areas of native vegetation and impact wildlife through competition, predation and disease transmission. Drawing on two extensive dataset obtained through camera-trapping, this dissertation intends to contribute to the understanding of the causes and consequences of the invasion by domestic dogs of forests fragments and agroforests in the Atlantic Forest. The dissertation is organized into two chapters. In the first chapter, we use data from two rural landscapes of São Paulo Atlantic Plateau with different proportions of remaining forests, and (1) describe the management and the characteristics of dogs that visit forest fragments, (2) compare, between these landscapes, the frequency and time of visits, the size of groups of invading dogs, and the drivers of invasion intensity, and (3) investigate the impacts of invasion intensity on the distribution of native large mammals. In the second chapter, using data from an agroforestry mosaic in southern Bahia, we investigate (4) if the conversion of native forests into agroforests and agroforestry intensification favor the invasion by dogs, and (5) if invasion by these animals is more associated with human presence in agroforests than in forests. Our findings highlight that: (1) the intensity of the invasion by dogs in human-modified landscapes in the Atlantic Forest is extremely high, both in terms of the number of individuals and of visits and in terms of the number of occupied sites; (2) invasion is favored by the type of management, with dogs kept free, and seems to be strongly associated with the presence of humans; (3) invasion intensity negatively affects the distribution of a larger number of large mammals than the loss of 40% of forest in the landscape; (4) characteristics of forest fragments associated with habitat loss (quantity and quality of remnants) are more important than propagule pressure to determine the intensity of invasion; (5) management intensification in agroforests intensifies invasion. As intensification of agroforestry and other agricultural systems has increased globally and, despite the decrease in the rates of deforestation in recent years, most tropical forest remnants consist of degraded or secondary vegetation, the amount of areas susceptible to invasion and the damages caused by domestic dogs should increase in the future.