Research priorities for managing invasive wild pigs in North America

Abstract

With recent increases in distribution and numbers of feral pigs (Sus scrofa; invasive wild pigs) in North America, there has been a concurrent increase in the ecological and economic effects they have had on native and anthropogenic ecosystems. Despite the amplified interest in invasive wild pig research, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding their basic biology and ecology, the scope of the damage they cause, and the efficacy of many control strategies. Such information is important to support the successful management of invasive wild pigs throughout North America and other areas. In 2016, members of the National Wild Pig Task Force met and developed a set of research priorities to aid in effective management of invasive wild pigs. These research priorities identify 4 topical areas where increased effort and science is most needed to manage invasive wild pigs: biology and ecology, economic and ecological damages, control strategies, and education and human dimensions, with particular emphasis on areas where specific data gaps remain within each topical area. Resolution of such knowledge deficits would advance the understanding of invasive wild pig ecology, enabling more efficient and effective management of this species. Ó 2018 The Wildlife Society.

Exposure of a population of invasive wild pigs to simulated toxic bait containing biomarker: implications for population reduction

“…These methods can be labor intensive or costly, and are typically not applied in a consistently coordinated manner to sufficiently keep populations from increasing across large regions . Additional effective and cost‐effective tools are needed to help control existing populations of invasive wild pigs and curtail their expansion and associated damage across large spatial scales …”

“…28,29 Additional effective and cost-effective tools are needed to help control existing populations of invasive wild pigs and curtail their expansion and associated damage across large spatial scales. 25,30,31 Toxic baits offer a potentially cost-effective option for controlling invasive wild pigs that could be broadly applied, provided that appropriate criteria are met for safety, humaneness, and efficacy. 32,33 Specifically, a toxic bait containing the active ingredient sodium nitrite (SN), has been under development through a collaborative research effort between the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) of the United States Department of Agriculture, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Center (IACRC), and Animal Control Technologies Australia Pty Ltd. 34 Initial studies with SN toxic bait have demonstrated a high level of palatability and efficacy for wild pigs, 34,35 and low secondary risks to non-target scavenger species.…”

Influence of seasonality, environmental and anthropic factors on crop damage by wild boar Sus scrofa

“…Based on our results, trapping sessions should be carried out before the sowing period and the milk stage of maize maturity, giving priority to fields close to forests, and at distance from main roads and urban settlements. More research is needed to expand our understanding of wild boar ecology and biology in this region, including population density, behaviour, feeding habits, productivity, and a thorough understanding of these features of wild boar populations in the region would further enhance the effectiveness of management strategies and preventative actions (Beasley et al 2018).…”

Operationalizing the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems in public policy

“…For example, the introduction of species such as bees for commercial purposes has altered pollination functions and community stability, induced virulent diseases, and suppressed plant reproduction success (Vanbergen, Espíndola, & Aizen, 2018). In the United States, the National Wild Pig Task Force, established as a part of the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, is accomplishing significant advances on control of invasive wild pigs in North American natural ecosystems (Beasley, Ditchkoff, Mayer, Smith, & Vercauteren, 2018). Similarly, in Mercury Islands (New Zealand), control and restoration programs eradicated introduced rats reducing predation on seabirds and thereby promoting return of nitrogen to multiple trophic levels (Sinclair et al, 2018).…”