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Colomer J, Massei G, Roos D, Rosell C, Rodríguez-Teijeiro JD. What drives wild boar density and population growth in Mediterranean environments? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172739. [PMID: 38697537 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Accurate prediction of fluctuations of wildlife local number of individuals is crucial for effective population management to minimise human-wildlife conflicts. Climate, habitat, food availability, and density dependence are among the main factors influencing mammalian population dynamics. In southern Europe, precipitation and temperature, particularly during summer have been suggested as key factors affecting wild boar (Sus scrofa L.). However, there is uncertainty regarding the role of these factors and the mechanisms driving population fluctuations. This study utilized long-term data of wild boar populations from 14 study sites collected for 23 years in Catalonia, Spain, to analyse the factors that drive population density and growth rate. Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMM) explained respectively, 94 % and 65 % of the density and growth rate variability. Spring precipitation in both current and previous year, female weight, and forest cover (particularly above 60 %) were directly associated with higher wild boar densities and population growth rates. The interaction between crop cover and total annual precipitation also played a significant role in determining population density. Higher densities were linked to lower population growth in the following year, likely due to a density-dependent process. These results suggest that the expected decrease in rainfall linked with global warming may limit the availability of natural resources and potentially slow wild boar population growth. Nevertheless, wild boar can exploit alternative anthropogenic food sources, potentially leading to an increase of human-wildlife conflicts. Therefore, incorporating management policies aimed at restricting wild boar access to human food sources is key for controlling their reproductive output. Additionally, landscape management strategies targeted at diminishing refuge and resource availability in regions experiencing high wild boar impact are essential for contributing to sustainable coexistence between wild boars and human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Colomer
- Minuartia, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain; IRBio, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - G Massei
- Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control Europe, UK; Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, 290 Wentworth Way, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - D Roos
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, York, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - C Rosell
- Minuartia, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain; IRBio, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J D Rodríguez-Teijeiro
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain; IRBio, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Wenting E, Siepel H, Jansen PA. Variability of the Ionome of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) and Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in a Dutch National Park, with Implications for Biomonitoring. Biol Trace Elem Res 2024; 202:2518-2546. [PMID: 37814170 PMCID: PMC11052835 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-023-03879-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
The ionome-an important expression of the physiological state of organisms-is poorly known for mammals. The focus on particular tissues-such as liver, kidney, and bones-in biomonitoring of environmental pollution and potential deficiencies is based on widely held assumptions rather than solid knowledge of full mammalian ionomes. We examined the full ionome of Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Wild boar (Sus scrofa), two commonly used mammals for biomonitoring, in a Dutch protected nature reserve (Veluwezoom). We used four individuals per species. We dissected 13 tissues and organs from each individuals (eight in total) of each species and measured 22 elemental concentrations in each. We assessed, for each element, how concentrations varied across tissues within and between individuals. Based on existing literature, we put our findings in the context of their function in the mammalian body. We found that the ionome was highly variable between as well as within the two species. For most elements, tissues containing the highest and lowest concentration differed between individuals. No single tissue accurately represented the accumulation of toxic elements or potential deficiencies in the bodies. Our assessment of the element's biological roles revealed a serious lack of reference values. Our findings imply that analyses of commonly used tissues in biomonitoring do not necessarily capture bioaccumulation of toxins or potential deficiencies. We recommend establishing a centralized database of mammalian ionomes to derive reference values in future. To our knowledge, our study is one of the most complete assessments of mammalian ionomes to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Wenting
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
- Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Henk Siepel
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Department of Animal Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick A Jansen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Panama
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Gethöffer F, Keuling O, Maistrelli C, Ludwig T, Siebert U. Heavy Youngsters-Habitat and Climate Factors Lead to a Significant Increase in Body Weight of Wild Boar Females. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050898. [PMID: 36899755 PMCID: PMC10000140 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the most abundant game species in Europe, European wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations prove highly adaptable to cultivated landscapes. The ongoing process of climate change and the high agricultural yields seem to further optimize the living conditions for this species. In long-term reproduction monitoring, we collected data on the body weight of wild boar females. Over an 18-year period, the body weight of wild boar females increased continuously, then stopped and decreased. It was possible to detect differences between the body weights of animals from forest and agricultural areas. For these areas, differences in body weight development also led to a significant distinction in the onset of puberty. We conclude that, even in a highly cultivated landscape, forested areas provide habitat characteristics that may strongly influence reproduction. Second, with dominant agricultural areas in Germany, wild boar reproduction has been favored in recent decades.
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Drimaj J, Kamler J, Hošek M, Plhal R, Mikulka O, Zeman J, Drápela K. Reproductive potential of free-living wild boar in Central Europe. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-020-01416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Kapota D, Saltz D. Unequal density dependence between survival and recruitment affects harvesting effectivness. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dror Kapota
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 84990 Israel
| | - David Saltz
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology; Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 84990 Israel
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Gethöffer F, Pfarrer C, Siebert U. Histology confirms that macroscopic evaluation of ovaries is a valid method for the assessment of the reproductive status in wild boar. Theriogenology 2018; 113:192-196. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Frauendorf M, Gethöffer F, Siebert U, Keuling O. The influence of environmental and physiological factors on the litter size of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in an agriculture dominated area in Germany. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 541:877-882. [PMID: 26437356 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The wild boar population has increased enormously in all of Europe over the last decades and caused problems like crop damage, transmission of diseases, and vehicle accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the underlying causes of this increase in order to be able to manage populations effectively. The purpose of this study was to analyse how environmental (food and climate) and physiological factors (maternal weight and age) as well as hunting and population density influence the litter size of wild boar populations in Northern Germany. The mean litter size in the studied population for the whole period was 6.6 (range 1–12), which is one of the highest in all of Europe. Litter size was positively influenced by maternal body weight, higher mast yield of oak as well as higher temperature in combination with higher precipitation in summer. Only higher temperature or only higher precipitation in summer however had a negative effect on litter size production. Probably,weather and food conditions act via maternal bodyweight on the litter size variation in wild boar. Hunting as well a s population density did not affect the litter size variation in this study which might indicate that wild boar population did not reach carrying capacity yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Frauendorf
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Friederike Gethöffer
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - Oliver Keuling
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.
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