Cows managing wildlife
Confronted with the news that the peasants were getting restless because they could not get enough bread, the French Queen Marie Antoinette is aid to have responded with the immortal line “Let them eat cake!” (Whitehead & Dawson 2000).
So, you're no doubt asking, what has this got to do with cows managing wildlife, and what has either of those things to do with pests and invaders. Let's deal with Marie Antoinette first.
The
types of narrow and confused perspective about the necessities of life,
as embodied in the opening paragraph, are not restricted to the French
aristocracy. When ecologists question land management practices that simplify
habitats and compromise food availability for native fauna, concerns are
often rejected as alarmist.
One such concern raised by ecologists is the impact that exotic pasture
species are having on wetland habitats in Northern Australia and the implications
for wetland fauna. In short, the decisions made to assist the pastoral
industry are failing to take into account the potential impact on wetland
flora and fauna i.e. cows are controlling land management decisions.
Whitehead and Dawson (2000) in their paper titled ‘Let them eat
grass!’ discuss the ongoing debate about exotic grasses versus the
future of threatened species such as the Magpie Goose.
Whitehead, P. and T. Dawson (2000). “Let them eat grass.” Nature Australia Autumn: 45-55.