Scott Sisson collaborates on study into cane toad dispersion
Published on the 02 Aug 2013
Associate Professor Scott Sisson has collaborated on research into cane toad dispersion and proliferation which has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The research team, also comprising members from the University of Sydney, has exposed a shortfall in previous studies which only monitor established populations of invasive species, potentially underestimating the speed at which they can spread into new territory.
"Animals at the vanguard of an invasion can move twice as far as the animals already in a region," said USyd's Professor Rick Shine. "The research has implications for how we assess the impact of invasive species and the rate at which native animals move into new habitat because of climate change."
"Invasive" cane toads were radio-tracked for eight years in northern Australia, as they arrived at a new site and colonised it. The researchers discovered very different movement patterns between 'pioneering' toads spearheading an invasion, and those at the same site a few years after the invasion.
"Our research suggests that current modelling, by concentrating on established populations, is routinely underestimating the rate at which such populations can move into a new area," Professor Shine said.