Cats blamed for decline of marsupials
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Small">Small</span>, <span word="furry">furry</span> <span word="marsupials">marsupials</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bandicoot">bandicoot</span>, <span word="quoll">quoll</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tree">tree</span> <span word="possum">possum</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="dramatic">dramatic</span> <span word="decline">decline</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="northern">northern</span> <span word="Australia">Australia</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="feral">feral</span> <span word="cats">cats</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cause">cause</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="analysis">analysis</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span>.</p><p><span word="Chris">Chris</span> <span word="Johnson">Johnson</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wildlife">wildlife</span> <span word="conservation">conservation</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Tasmania">Tasmania</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="mammal">mammal</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="risk">risk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="extinction">extinction</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="continent">continent</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="north">north</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="marked">marked</span>.</p><p>"<span word="There">There</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="picture">picture</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="lots">lots</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="declined">declined</span> <span word="dramatically">dramatically</span>," <span word="Johnson">Johnson</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Where">Where</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="infer">infer</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="timing">timing</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="decline">decline</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="fairly">fairly</span> <span word="recent">recent</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="mammals">mammals</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="exist">exist</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="habitat">habitat</span> <span word="looks">looks</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="support">support</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="mammals">mammals</span>."</p><p><span word="Johnson">Johnson</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="discussed">discussed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="new">new</span> <span word="wave">wave</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="decline">decline</span>", <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="sudden">sudden</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="except">except</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="noticeable">noticeable</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="early">early</span> 1990<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="places">places</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Kakadu">Kakadu</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Park">Park</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="conservation">conservation</span> <span word="area">area</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Northern">Northern</span> <span word="Territory">Territory</span>.</p><p><span word="About">About</span> 20 <span word="small">small</span> <span word="native">native</span> <span word="mammals">mammals</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="disappeared">disappeared</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Kakadu">Kakadu</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="decades">decades</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="ratlike">ratlike</span> <span word="bandicoots">bandicoots</span>, <span word="northern">northern</span> <span word="quolls">quolls</span>, <span word="tree">tree</span> <span word="possums">possums</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weasel">weasel</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="phascogale">phascogale</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>, <span word="adding">adding</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="declines">declines</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="occurred">occurred</span> <span word="elsewhere">elsewhere</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="analysis">analysis</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="database">database</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="current">current</span> <span word="mammal">mammal</span> <span word="populations">populations</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="meeting">meeting</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Canberra">Canberra</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wednesday">Wednesday</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="allowed">allowed</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="compare">compare</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="current">current</span> <span word="wave">wave</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="extinction">extinction</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span>, <span word="Johnson">Johnson</span> <span word="said">said</span>, <span word="adding">adding</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="revealed">revealed</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="factors">factors</span>.</p>
页:
[1]