Cited research: Ecol. Lett. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01492.x (2010)

Invasive species are often held responsible for driving native ones to extinction. Arian Wallach at the University of Adelaide in Australia and her colleagues propose that although invasives may drive biodiversity loss, a lack of ecosystem resilience is the ultimate cause of extinctions.

The authors assessed seven sites in Australia with differing levels of control of the top predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo; pictured). They found that harsh control actually promoted the spread of invasive species by disrupting dingo social structures and hence the resilience of the entire ecosystem. Relaxing control re-established biodiversity.

The team suggests that conservation managers should promote the inherent resilience of ecosystems rather than remove established invaders. D.P.C.

Credit: S. KING/NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY