Work

Feral Horses and Their Environmental Impacts in the Australian Alps: Policy and Management Priorities

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Policy and Management RecommendationsComplete removal via culling of feral horses from threatened alpine and subalpine ecosystems, including peatlands and wetlands, is recommended (Beeton and Johnson 2019).Excluding horses from sensitive locations (e.g., through fencing), or using fertility control methods, is insufficient for preserving ecological function and connectivity of sensitive ecosystems such as alpine peatlands and wetlands (Driscoll et al. 2019;Hobbs and Hinds 2018).Horse control must be coordinated with integrated fire and pest management strategies addressing other invasive herbivores and omnivores, weeds and invasive predators (Keith et al. 2022; Summary • Feral horses cause extensive ecological harm, including damage to soil, waterways, vegetation, and the carbon cycle, leading to declines in threatened species.• While most Australian states pursue population reduction or removal, NSW's Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act mandates retention of horses in parts of Kosciuszko National Park, contradicting scientific consensus and national conservation policies.• Scientific evidence strongly supports complete removal of feral horses from sensitive alpine and subalpine ecosystems, as fencing and local exclusion are insufficient.• Effective protection and restoration of damaged alpine ecosystems requires coordinated management of all invasive species, evidence-based public communication, and legislative support.TABLE 1 | Evidence base for the effects of feral horses on Australian biodiversity, ecosystem services and society.

Source: Austral Ecology

DOI: 10.1111/aec.70117

Authors: Ayesha Tulloch, Euan Ritchie, Don Driscoll

Institutions: Queensland University of Technology, Deakin University

Language: English

Topic: Rangeland and Wildlife Management

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,310