Data from: Fox control and fire influence the occurrence of invasive predators and threatened native prey

It can be challenging to distinguish management impacts from other
population drivers, including 'natural' processes and
co-occurring threats. However, disentangling processes is important,
particularly when management may have unintended consequences, such as
mesopredator release. We explored the effects of long-term, broadscale
poison-baiting programs on the distribution of red foxes Vulpes vulpes
(targeted invasive predator), feral cats Felis catus (unmanaged invasive
competitor) and two of their threatened native prey in two fire-affected
regions of south-eastern Australia. We synthesised data from 3,667
camera-trap deployments at 1,232 sites (172,052 trap-nights), combining
experimental manipulation of foxes and fire with space-for-time
approaches. Fox control effectiveness––in terms of decreased probability
of fox occurrence and increased probability of prey occurrence––depended
on the duration and intensity of the poison-baiting program. The effects
of fox control on prey occurrence also varied between the two native prey
species: fox control was strongly beneficial to the long-nosed potoroo
Potorous tridactylus but had no measurable effect on southern brown
bandicoot Isoodon obesulus occurrence. Feral cat occupancy tended to be
higher in landscapes with long-term fox control, although we found no
effect of fox-bait density on fine-scale cat occurrence. Time since fire
(0–80 years) was associated with the occurrence of each study species, but
its association with invasive predators also differed among vegetation
types. Invasive predators and altered fire regimes are key, often
overlapping, biodiversity threats. Our work highlights the importance of
fine-scale monitoring and consideration of multiple drivers in
distribution models to develop effective, tailored conservation
strategies.