No abstract

Forest soils are shaped by various processes, like runoff, erosion, sedimentation and bioturbation. A better understanding of the interactions between abiotic and biotic soil-forming processes, including wild boar (Sus scrofa) rooting (i.e., subsurface foraging), enhances adequate management of forest ecosystems. We hypothesized that intense soil sedimentation influences wild boar rooting occurrence and that wild boars modify the outcome of the sedimentation process by redistributing soil layers. This study was conducted in the Babat Valley, Hungary. We estimated the availability of sedimented and non-sedimented patches and the occurrence of boar rooting. Surveys and samplings were done along transects, over consecutive months, where the impact of rooting on the physical and chemical characteristics of soil was measured by comparing them between control and rooted sites. We found that non-sedimented, steep areas were preferred areas for rooting. Sedimentation processes have a higher impact on soil chemical characteristics and soil layer composition than wild boar rooting. We conclude that mitigation of soil degradation can be more effective by reducing adverse abiotic processes rather than wild boar population control.

Several ungulate species are showing increasing population patterns within their geographical distribution ranges, leading to constant interactions with other animal species. Varying densities and activities of different ungulates may result in diverse impacts on other coexisting species groups, including large numbers of threatened species, such as reptiles. In this study, we performed an analysis of the available literature to investigate the impacts of ungulates on reptiles. We aimed to reveal the diversity of: (1) the geographical and environmental distribution of related investigations; (2) the ungulate and reptile species involved; and (3) the characteristics of interactions (direct or indirect, positive or negative) from 69 publications. Our results show that the most papers were reported from the Americas (42%) and Australia (28%). The proportions of studies were balanced for wild ungulates (53%) and livestock (47%). Wild boar (Sus scrofa) was found to be the most problematic species on reptiles whereas reptiles which suffered the harshest impacts were Squamates (i.e., lizards, and snakes). Ungulate activities (e.g., digging by wild boar) may directly harm reptiles (consuming or killing them) or indirectly affect them by modifying their habitats or destroying their hideouts. Some preferential effects were also noted (e.g., by moderate livestock grazing or when wild ungulates are prey for large reptiles). Published livestock impacts were mainly indirect and mostly negatively linked to overgrazing. We conclude that it is important to manage and monitor the densities of ungulates to minimize their negative impacts on reptile species, especially in case of wild boar and grazing livestock, but also to maintain their moderate beneficial effects (e.g., as prey basis).

Az EU közös agrárpolitikájában egyre nagyobb hangsúlyt kapnak a biodiverzitást növelő, a természeti erőforrásokat fenntarthatóan kezelő földhasználati formák és gazdálkodási elemek. Megvalósításukban kiemelt szerep jut az agrár-környezetgazdálkodási programoknak, amelyeknek legfontosabb feladata, hogy elősegítsék a mezőgazdálkodás során jelentkező tájhasználati konfliktusok feloldását. Egyes célprogramok sikeressége a jellemző madárközösségek monitorozásával (Farmland Bird Index) hatékonyan vizsgálható. Több európai kutatás eredményeit összevetve elmondható, hogy a gyepek fenntartásába, a változatos táplálékforrások megőrzésébe, és a búvóhelyek-költőhelyek létesítésére fordított támogatások eredményesek lehetnek, ha azok nem csak néhány parcellán, hanem térségi szinten is megvalósulnak. Ugyanakkor az eredményeket, így a programok értékelését is jelentősen befolyásolja, hogy milyen monitoring módszert, mekkora léptékben alkalmaznak Európa különböző adottságú mezőgazdasági területein.