Invasive woodlands and intruding dogs shape the structure of a mesocarnivore guild.

Abstract

Whilst the impacts of individual invasive species are relatively well studied, the combined effects of both plant and animal invasive species on multispecies assemblages are poorly understood. We studied the impact of two invasive species-the mesquite tree, Neltuma juliflora, and free-ranging dog, Canis familiaris, on a guild of native mesocarnivores in the human-dominated grasslands of the Thar desert. We found that the mesquite had varying effects on the mesocarnivore guild, benefiting generalist species such as the golden jackal Canis aureus and jungle cat Felis chaus, while negatively affecting open habitat specialist species such as Indian desert fox Vulpes v. pusilla, Indian fox Vulpes bengalensis, and desert cat Felis lybica ornata. All mesocarnivores strongly avoided dogs along the spatial or temporal niche axis, likely to evade interference competition. The high prevalence of dogs in these landscapes could lead to the competitive exclusion of smaller native species, such as the Indian fox, resulting in a local decline in their population. Our study reveals significant impacts of both plant and animal invasive species on native mesocarnivores, altering their distribution and activity patterns, with potential consequences for long-term population persistence. We suggest control of mesquite in areas prioritised for conservation of open habitat specialists such as desert fox, Indian fox, and desert cat, and removal or restriction on the movement of dogs in sensitive wildlife habitats.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10530-025-03659-5.