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Humans think in dichotomies, and one of the most potent of these in conservation is ‘native’ versus ‘exotic’, whereby native species are considered good and exotic species bad. This dichotomy is generally useful but leads to some confused thinking. Dingoes are often claimed to be native dogs when they should be considered exotic. Many native animals, including threatened species, are growing dependent upon exotic plants and animals, and this dependency calls into question the presumption that exotic means ‘bad’. Conversely, many native species behave at times as pests. The native-good, exotic-bad dichotomy is under attack from many people who do not want to see exotic pests controlled. Biologists should be thinking more about these issues.

Anonymous. 2004. The Native vs Exotic Debate “Green Fascists”. The Diggers Club Spring 2004.
Baker-Gabb, D.J. 1984. The breeding ecology of twelve species of diurnal raptor in north-western Victoria, Australian Wildlife Research 11: 145-160.
Bertolinoa, S. and Genovesi, P., 2003. Spread and attempted eradication of the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in Italy, and consequences for the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in Eurasia. Biological Conservation 109: 351-358
Brown, J.H. and Sax, D.E., 2004. An essay on some topics concerning invasive species. Austral Ecology 29: 530-536.
Brown, J.H. and Sax, D.E., 2005. Biological invasions and scientific objectivity: Reply to Cassey et al. (2005). AustralEcology 30: 481-83.
Carruthers, F. 2000. Wanted dead and alive. The Australian Magazine Dec 9-10: 18-25.
Cassey, P., Blackburn, T.M., Duncan, R.P., and Chown, S.L. 2005. Concerning invasive species: Reply to Brown and Sax. Austral Ecology 30: 475-80.
Cheal, D. 1986. A park with a kangaroo problem. Oryx 20: 95-99
Corbett, L. 1995 The Dingo in Australia and Asia. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, NSW.
Corbett, L. 1995-96. Dingoes: expatriate wolves or native dogs? Nature Australia 25: 46-55.
Daehler, C.C. 2004. Invasion Biology and our Feral Future. Diversity and Distributions 10: 153-55.
Daniels, M.J., and Corbett, L. 2003. Redefining introgressed protected mammals: when is a wildcat a wild cat and a dingo a wild dog? Wildlife Research 30: 213-18.
Edwards, G.P., Dobbie, W. and Berman, D.M. 2002. Population trends in European rabbits and other wildlife of central Australia in the wake of rabbit haemorrhagic disease. Wildlife Research 29: 557-65.
Garnett, S.T., and Crowley, G.M. 2000 The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra, ACT.
Howell, J. 2003 Pittosporum undulatum as a case study for native species that change range - how to avoid inappropriate responses? Cunninghamia 8: 153-5
Lovelock, J.E. 1979 Gaia: a New Look at Life on Earth. Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York.
Low, T. 1999 Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia's Exotic Invaders. Penguin, Melbourne, Vic.
Low, T. 2002 The New Nature: Winners and Losers in Wild Australia. Penguin, Melbourne, Vic.
Moriarty, A. 2004. The liberation, distribution, abundance and management of wild deer in Australia, Wildlife Research 31: 291-299.
Morton, S.R., and Martin, A.A. 1979. ‘Feeding ecology of the barn owl’, Tyto alba, in arid southern Australia, Australian Wildlife Research 6: 191-204.
Oogjes, G. 1999. Our ethical obligation to ‘mislocated’ animals - the Animals Australia approach. The use of wildlife for research: proceedings of the conference held at the Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW 26-27 May 1999, edited by D. Mellor and V. Monamy. ANZCCART, Glen Osmond, S.A.
Scott, J.K., Yeoh, P.B., and Woodburn, T.L. 2000 Apion miniatum (Coleoptera: Apionidae) and the control of Emex australis (Polygonaceae): conflicts of interest and no target effects. Pp 473-485 Proceedings of the X International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds, edited by N.R. Spencer. Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Theodoropoulos, D.I. 2003 Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience. Avvar Books, Blythe, California.
Torr, G. 2004. Marsupial murder mystery. Nature Australia 27: 17-18.
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References

Anonymous. 2004. The Native vs Exotic Debate “Green Fascists”. The Diggers Club Spring 2004.
Baker-Gabb, D.J. 1984. The breeding ecology of twelve species of diurnal raptor in north-western Victoria, Australian Wildlife Research 11: 145-160.
Bertolinoa, S. and Genovesi, P., 2003. Spread and attempted eradication of the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in Italy, and consequences for the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in Eurasia. Biological Conservation 109: 351-358
Brown, J.H. and Sax, D.E., 2004. An essay on some topics concerning invasive species. Austral Ecology 29: 530-536.
Brown, J.H. and Sax, D.E., 2005. Biological invasions and scientific objectivity: Reply to Cassey et al. (2005). AustralEcology 30: 481-83.
Carruthers, F. 2000. Wanted dead and alive. The Australian Magazine Dec 9-10: 18-25.
Cassey, P., Blackburn, T.M., Duncan, R.P., and Chown, S.L. 2005. Concerning invasive species: Reply to Brown and Sax. Austral Ecology 30: 475-80.
Cheal, D. 1986. A park with a kangaroo problem. Oryx 20: 95-99
Corbett, L. 1995 The Dingo in Australia and Asia. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, NSW.
Corbett, L. 1995-96. Dingoes: expatriate wolves or native dogs? Nature Australia 25: 46-55.
Daehler, C.C. 2004. Invasion Biology and our Feral Future. Diversity and Distributions 10: 153-55.
Daniels, M.J., and Corbett, L. 2003. Redefining introgressed protected mammals: when is a wildcat a wild cat and a dingo a wild dog? Wildlife Research 30: 213-18.
Edwards, G.P., Dobbie, W. and Berman, D.M. 2002. Population trends in European rabbits and other wildlife of central Australia in the wake of rabbit haemorrhagic disease. Wildlife Research 29: 557-65.
Garnett, S.T., and Crowley, G.M. 2000 The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia, Canberra, ACT.
Howell, J. 2003 Pittosporum undulatum as a case study for native species that change range - how to avoid inappropriate responses? Cunninghamia 8: 153-5
Lovelock, J.E. 1979 Gaia: a New Look at Life on Earth. Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York.
Low, T. 1999 Feral Future: The Untold Story of Australia's Exotic Invaders. Penguin, Melbourne, Vic.
Low, T. 2002 The New Nature: Winners and Losers in Wild Australia. Penguin, Melbourne, Vic.
Moriarty, A. 2004. The liberation, distribution, abundance and management of wild deer in Australia, Wildlife Research 31: 291-299.
Morton, S.R., and Martin, A.A. 1979. ‘Feeding ecology of the barn owl’, Tyto alba, in arid southern Australia, Australian Wildlife Research 6: 191-204.
Oogjes, G. 1999. Our ethical obligation to ‘mislocated’ animals - the Animals Australia approach. The use of wildlife for research: proceedings of the conference held at the Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW 26-27 May 1999, edited by D. Mellor and V. Monamy. ANZCCART, Glen Osmond, S.A.
Scott, J.K., Yeoh, P.B., and Woodburn, T.L. 2000 Apion miniatum (Coleoptera: Apionidae) and the control of Emex australis (Polygonaceae): conflicts of interest and no target effects. Pp 473-485 Proceedings of the X International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds, edited by N.R. Spencer. Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Theodoropoulos, D.I. 2003 Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience. Avvar Books, Blythe, California.
Torr, G. 2004. Marsupial murder mystery. Nature Australia 27: 17-18.
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