What effect did the cattle that First Fleet brought to Australia have on food webs that existed in Aus. then?

Question

It can be sheep, cattle, horses, goats or pigs, not only cattle.

I need to know what effect the animal had on food webs that existed in Australia at that time (1788). Thanks heaps.

Answer 1

When the domesticated animals arrived, human turned temperate forests (in southeastern and southwestern part of Australia) into pastures, reducing the habitat of native species. Soon the domesticated animals became the prey of dingos and thylacines (mainly dingos), and since then dingos outnumbered thylacines, causing the extinction of thylacine (thylacine doesn't breed as fast as dingos, and they're bigger, making them more visible when attacking cattle, then got shot down). To the herbivores, not much competition caused, the proof is that there aren't many endangered herbivores (mammals, not birds) in Australia.

Anyway, most of Australia's giant sized animals were extinct thousands of years ago, during the 1st human settlement to the continent, so there are not many big predators going after the cattle (except dingo and thylacine).

Answer 2

They stress the lives of all herbivores by destroying food, water supply and breeding spaces.  This in turn effected the lives of all carnivores by lowering the amount of food available.