18 research outputs found
The wild boar Sus scrofa L. as neighbor in an agricultural landscape – a new project
No full textHerbst, C., Keuling, O
Managing wild boar - considerations for wild boar management based on game biology data
No full textThe wild boar is a large ungulate which may produce serious economic problems. As the wild boar is highly reproductive, a fast dispersing species and flexible in behavior, management has to be adapted to the adaptive wild boar populations. On the other hand, the wild boar lives small scaled in family-groups, which enables management concepts on regional scale. Female wild boar of all age classes should be hunted in favour by comprehensive hunting methods for wild boar population regulation
Guidance on estimation of abundance and density of wild carnivore population:methods, challenges, possibilities
No full textO javali (Sus scrofa linnaeus, 1758) na região do Parque Nacional das Araucárias : percepções humanas e relação com regeneração da Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Florianópolis, 2015.As invasões biológicas podem representar ameaça para espécies nativas, ecossistemas e para o bem-estar humano. Entretanto, a percepção das pessoas sobre as espécies invasoras depende da cultura das pessoas envolvidas quanto do organismo invasor; assim uma invasão pode ser considerada negativa da perspectiva ambiental e positiva por alguns setores da sociedade devido seus aspectos ornamentais, recreativos ou econômicos. Não obstante, as comunidades locais podem contribuir com o conhecimento ecológico sobre a história natural dos animais e com dados quantitativos sobre caça que podem fornecer informações sobre padrões de distribuição geográfica, demografia, abundância de espécies e pressão de caça. A forma selvagem do javali (Sus scrofa) está presente no Brasil desde a década de 1960 e sua distribuição no país já atinge quase todos os biomas, exceto a Amazônia. Embora a invasão em Floresta Ombrófila Mista seja recente, aproximadamente 10 anos, o javali apresenta sobreposição de 78% com esta fitofisionomia da Mata Atlântica. A espécie Araucaria angustifolia é o principal componente arbóreo da Floresta Ombrófila Mista e é considerada uma espécie ameaçada de extinção. O javali pode afetar a regeneração das araucárias pela extensa perturbação que causa ao revolver a terra em busca de recursos subterrâneos para alimentação, pelo pisoteio das plântulas e pela predação de sementes. Assim, objetivou-se analisar a estrutura demográfica de Araucaria angustifolia na região do Parque Nacional das Araucárias (PNA), entender o uso da área do PNA pelo javali e sua relação com a regeneração de araucárias e compreender a percepção humana sobre o javali em comunidades locais na região do Parque Nacional das Araucárias. Foram realizadas parcelas e transectos na região do PNA para compreender a estrutura populacional de araucárias na região e a relação do javali com a regeneração de araucárias, experimento de remoção de sementes para analisar a relação da predação de sementes de araucárias por javali e pela fauna nativa. Adicionalmente, foram utilizadas armadilhas fotográficas para verificar o uso da área do PNA pelo javali e realizadas entrevistas nas comunidades do entorno do PNA para entender a percepção das pessoas sobre esses animais e sobre o impactos que causam. A densidade média de indivíduos de araucárias foi de 187,5 ± 201,2 ind.ha-1 e 50,9% dos indivíduos pertencem a classe regeneração. A maioria das áreas com grande densidade de indivíduos de araucárias em regeneração no PNA ocorreu na região fitoecológica de campo, com vestígios de javali, presença de gado e em solos menos profundos (neossolo e cambissolo). A densidade de javali parece estar temporariamente estável (0,48 ind/Km2) e a espécie não está uniformemente distribuído na região do PNA. A abundância de javali foi negativamente relacionada ao percentual de área agrícola; quanto maior o percentual de área agrícola, menor a abundância de javali. Provavelmente devido a maior pressão de caça nas áreas agrícolas e a disponibilidade de recursos na mata durante todo o ano enquanto nas áreas agrícolas os recursos estão disponíveis principalmente no verão. As variáveis do modelo que melhor explicaram a variação encontrada na densidade e altura de araucárias em regeneração foram a região fitoecológica, litossolo, densidade de indivíduos adultos, as áreas fuçadas por javali e riqueza de médios e grandes mamíferos. Em relação a percepção das pessoas sobre o javali na região, 86,1% dos colaboradores consideraram negativa a convivência entre os proprietários rurais com o javali por causa dos prejuízos que este animal causa na lavoura principalmente no milho (82,8%) e na soja (34,5%). No que tange as plantas nativas, os colaboradores relataram que o javali consome principalmente pinhão (91,7%), guabiroba (47,2%) e imbuia (30,6%) e interfere na regeneração das espécies nativas (27,8%). Os colaboradores relataram a existência de caça em 55,5% das propriedades, principalmente caça ativa com cachorros (65%). Portanto, o javali é uma espécie frequente em relação aos mamíferos de médio e grande porte nativos na região do Parque Nacional das Araucárias e causa prejuízos ambientais e sócio-econômicos na região. Assim, deve ser realizado planejamento específico de controle e monitoramento dessa espécie exótica invasora na região do Parque, além de buscar estratégias de mitigação para os pequenos agricultores locais, incentivar estudos e o uso do conhecimento ecológico local para embasar ações de manejo.Abstract : Biological invasions can be a threat to native species, ecosystems and human well-being. However, the human perception about invasive species depends on their culture and the aspect of invasive species. An invasion may be considered negative from an environmental perspective and positive for some sectors of society because of their ornamental, recreational or economic aspects. Nevertheless, local communities can contribute to the ecological knowledge about the natural history of animals and the number of hunts can provide information about distribution patterns, demographics, abundance of species and hunting pressure. The wild boar has been present in Brazil since the 1960s and its distribution in the country has already reached almost all biomes, except for the Amazon. Although the invasion of Humid Mixed Forest is recent, about 10 years, the boar has overlap of 78% with this vegetation type. The Araucaria angustifolia is the main arboreal component of Mata de Araucaria and is an endangered species. The boar can affect the regeneration of araucaria by the extensive disruption it causes by turning over the soil in search of underground resources for food, the trampling of seedlings and seed predation. The objective was to analyze the demographic structure of Araucaria angustifolia in the region of the Araucaria National Park (PNA), understand the use of the PNA area for wild boar and its relationship with the regeneration of araucaria, as well as understand human perception of the boar in communities in the Araucaria National Park region. Parcels and transects were used in the PNA region to understand the population structure of araucarias and the boar's relationship with the regeneration of araucarias, seed removal experiment to analyze the relationship of araucaria seed predation by wild boar and the native fauna. In addition, camera traps were used to verify the use of the PNA area for the wild boar and interviews in the communities close to the PNA to understand human perception of these animals and the impacts they cause. The average density of araucaria subjects was 187.5 ± 201.2 ind.ha-1 and 50.9% of individuals are in the regeneration class. Most areas with high density of araucaria individuals in regeneration in the PNA occurred in the phytoecological region of the field, with wild boar remains, presence of cattle and shallower soils (neosoil and cambisoil). The boar density seems to be temporarily stable (0,48 ind/Km2) and the species is not evenly distributed in the PNA region. The abundance of wild boar was negatively related to the percentage of agricultural area; the higher the percentage of agricultural area, the lower the abundance of wild boar. Probably due the hunting pressure in agricultural areas and the availability of resources in the forest throughout the year while in agricultural areas the resources are mainly available in the summer. The variables of the model that best explained the variation found in the density and height of araucaria regenerating were phytoecological region, lithosoil, density of adults, surfaces dug by boars, and large mammals. Regarding human perception of the boar in the region, 86.1% considered the coexistence among landowners with the wild boar negative because of the damage this animal causes in the fields mainly in corn (82.8%) and soybean (34.5%) crops. Regarding native plants, they reported that the boar feeds mainly of araucaria (91.7%), guabiroba (47.2%) and imbuia (30.6%) and interferes with the regeneration of native species (27.8%). They reported the existence of hunting in 55.5% of the properties, mainly active hunting with dogs (65%). Therefore, the boar is a common species in relation to the native medium and large-sized mammals in the region of the Araucaria National Park and cause environmental and socioeconomic damage in the region. specific planning control and monitoring of this exotic invasive species should be carried out in the park area, and mitigation strategies for small local farmers should be sought, encouraging studies and the use of local ecological knowledge to support management actions
Guidance on estimation of abundance and density data of wild ruminant population: methods, challenges, possibilities
No full textENETWILD Consortium.The methods for estimating relative abundance and density in wild ruminant species are reviewed and insights on how to obtain reliable estimations by using those methods are provided. Eighteenmethods used in nineteenwild ruminant species widely distributed across Europe are reviewed. In accordance with the ENETWILD consortium objectives, we evaluate if different types of data can be used to generate harmonisedand comparable database at large scale and for calibration of hunting data into abundanceindices or population density. In addition, recommendations to select the methods to estimate the abundance or density and its implementations for ungulate populations are provided. How to increase the output quality provided by certain methods recognised as reliable (good accuracy and precision)and with the potential to be used for the validation and calibration ofother direct (i.e. based on observation of animals) or indirect (i.e. based on signs of animal activity) methods was recommended. Largely, the “counting” of large herbivores on a regional scale is often unfeasible, it can only be possible to accurately assess population status at local scale. We show that the habitat type plays a key role in the selection of the best method to determine density or relative abundance and that this is partially irrespective to species characteristics. A method that gives a density estimate rather than relative abundance, if possible, should be used. High‐quality hunting data statistics (collected at fine spatial resolution) have the highest availability and comparability potential across Europe, to give long‐term and large‐scale trends and should be used in predictive spatial modelling of wild ruminant relative abundance and density. Therefore, their standardized and harmonised collection is strongly recommended. On a local scale (e.g. management units), camera trapping is a method that can be conducted in different environmental conditions and at any time to collect robust data. In open areas, where camera trappingmay require an excessive effort, we suggest using methods involving the direct detection of animals (vantage points, linear transects, block counts, random points). This should be carried outby correctly defining the study areas (for instance by means of distance sampling) and by estimating the repeatability of the results.Peer reviewe
Assessing and predicting the spread of non-native raccoons in Germany using hunting bag data and dispersal weighted models
No full textAs the second largest cause of biodiversity loss worldwide, there is an urgent need to study the dynamics of biological invasions and identify factors limiting the distribution of invasive alien species. In the present study we analyze national-scale hunting bag data from Germany to predict the dispersal of raccoons in the largest non-native population of the species. Our focus is (1) to document changes in the distribution and abundance of raccoons, (2) to identify the species-environment relationship and predict which areas will be suitable for future colonization and (3) to apply a dispersal model to predict how fast the raccoon will spread to these areas. The increase from about 9,000 harvested raccoons in 2000/01 to about 71,000 in 2011/12 reflects the extensive amount of suitable habitat for this omnivorous species in Central Europe. The best model for explaining range expansion in Germany identified coverage of agriculture and fragmentation and coverage of forests as the most important explanatory variables. The range of raccoons (area with harvest index > 0.1 per 100 ha) increased from 26,515 km2 in 2001 to 111,630 km2 in 2011, and is predicted to expand to 252,940 km2 by 2061, 71 % of the area of Germany. This vast area encompasses strategically important areas for conservation biology, such as wetlands with endangered native terrapins. The combination of merging of separated introduced populations and accelerating population growth highlights the potential for future impacts of raccoons on native communities, ecosystems and economic life in Germany and Central Europe
Wildlife-vehicle collision liability in Europe: A review of existing approaches and their implications /
No full textWe present an overview of wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) liability covering 36 European countries. We reviewed approaches to WVC liability which are currently in effect across Europe and their potential consequences for WVC reporting. To obtain relevant information, we conducted a survey, including a web-based questionnaire. We retrieved answers to questions related to human fatalities from WVC, the existence of WVC databases, roadkill data systems and recommendation for drivers in the event of WVC. In 19 countries, no one is liable when a motorized vehicle collides with a wild animal. In the remaining countries, road managers or road owners may be liable as well as drivers or hunters, either consistently or under certain conditions. Liability can, in some countries, be changed after a legal assessment. Human fatalities due to WVCs have been reported in 27 countries, with approximately 90 deaths annually across European roads. The number of injured people and estimates of socio-economic losses were not possible to obtain at a European level as many countries lack reliable databases. We discuss how existing WVC liability across countries provoke some actors to transfer liability to another actor or avoid reporting these incidents altogether. WVC underreporting in certain national databases is one of the consequences of the existing WVC liability rules in the given countries. This fact reduces the potential to identify hotspots and define appropriate mitigation measures. In conclusion, we propose several procedures for modifying WVC liability that could enhance wildlife protection and road safety
