Wild boar (<i>Sus scrofa</i>) increases species diversity of semidry grassland: Field experiment with simulated soil disturbances

Horčičková, Eva; Bruna, J; Vojta, Jaroslav

doi:10.1002/ece3.4950

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…These short-term effects that we observed in our experiment may have long-term effects on below-but also above-ground organisms in boreal forests. For instance, Horcǐcǩová et al [44] showed that wild boar rooting can affect plant richness and that its effect can last more than 8 years even when rooting patches are no longer visible. Further, our experiment was conducted in autumn when precipitation events are frequent followed by snow fall and freeze-thaw events.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Northward range expansion of rooting ungulates decreases detritivore and predatory mite abundances in boreal forests

et al. 2022

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In the last few decades wild boar populations have expanded northwards, colonizing boreal forests. The soil disturbances caused by wild boar rooting may have an impact on soil organisms that play a key role in organic matter turnover. However, the impact of wild boar colonization on boreal forest ecosystems and soil organisms remains largely unknown. We investigated the effect of natural and simulated rooting on decomposer and predatory soil mites (total, adult and juvenile abundances; and adult–juvenile proportion). Our simulated rooting experiment aimed to disentangle the effects of (i) bioturbation due to soil mixing and (ii) removing organic material (wild boar food resources) on soil mites. Our results showed a decline in the abundance of adult soil mites in response to both natural and artificial rooting, while juvenile abundance and the relative proportion of adults and juveniles were not affected. The expansion of wild boar northwards and into new habitats has negative effects on soil decomposer abundances in boreal forests which may cascade through the soil food web ultimately affecting ecosystem processes. Our study also suggests that a combined use of natural and controlled experimental approaches is the way forward to reveal any subtle interaction between aboveground and belowground organisms and the ecosystem functions they drive.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, Horčičková et al . [44] showed that wild boar rooting can affect plant richness and that its effect can last more than 8 years even when rooting patches are no longer visible. Further, our experiment was conducted in autumn when precipitation events are frequent followed by snow fall and freeze–thaw events.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Northward range expansion of rooting ungulates decreases detritivore and predatory mite abundances in boreal forests

et al. 2022

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“…Grubbing disrupts the structure of the soil, altering its physico-chemical properties, so that where wild boar densities are high, their intensive grubbing exacerbates soil erosion (Wirthner et al 2012). Grubbing also affects the quantities of seeds in the soil (Bueno et al 2011) and can alter the environmental conditions essential for the growth of many plants, including non-native species (Brunet et al 2016;Horčičková et al 2019). Moreover, foraging by wild boar can significantly reduce populations of locally occurring animals (Amori et al 2016;Casula et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local-scale habitat configuration makes a niche for wildlife encroaching into an urban landscape: grubbing sites of wild boar Sus scrofa in a city matrix

2022

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Urban environments may offer certain species diverse and abundant food resources of natural and anthropogenic origin. However, the local-scale configuration of habitats and urban infrastructure may influence foraging decisions regardless of the availability of food. In recent years, the expansion of wild boar Sus scrofa into areas significantly transformed by humans has been observed in many parts of its range. Grubbing (rooting) is a major foraging mode of the species, during which disturbance of the upper soil layers enables these animals to find and consume food items. However, the factors that determine the selection of grubbing sites in the urban landscape, where the balance between food availability and the avoidance of humans may influence foraging decisions, are not known. Our aim was to identify local-scale factors that influence grubbing site selection and the size of grubbed patches in an urban landscape. The characteristics of 108 wild boar grubbing sites in the city of Kraków (Poland) were compared to randomly selected control sites. The probable presence of a grubbing site was positively correlated with the proportion of meadows and fallow land in the vicinity and with increases in both canopy cover and distance to pavements. The size of a grubbed patch was positively correlated with the percentage of meadows in the vicinity, increasing distance to buildings and decreasing distance to pavements. We found a non-random pattern of grubbing sites in the urban landscape and indicated that the local-scale configuration of vegetation and urban infrastructure contribute to foraging site selection by wild boar. Our study highlights that the encroachment of wildlife into the urban landscape is a complex process, driven by both resource availability and the avoidance of human-related disturbances.

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“…The interaction of fire and grazing could allow grasslands ecosystems to persist at different spatial scales i.e. from landscape to local forest patches (Horčičkovâ, Brůna, and Vojta 2019). However, the spatial grain of landscape heterogeneity remains poorly understood (Pausas and Ribeiro 2017;Pausas and Vallejo 1999), despite its key role in ecological processes such as dispersal to maintain population dynamics (D'Antraccoli et al 2019).…”

Section: Origin and Persistence Of G Lacaitae In Forested Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneous forest structures favor persistence of the grassland Mediterranean geophyte Gagea lacaitae

2019

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Land use changes in the northern Mediterranean basin threaten our ability to conserve its habitats and species. Reduced grazing has led to local declines in grassland species and colonization by forest species leading to conservation actions aimed at restoring open habitats. Recently, populations of Gagea lacaitae, a bulbous species typical of Mediterranean open xeric grasslands, have been discovered in forest clearings, an unexpected habitat for this species. Here, we surveyed 48 plots to characterize and compare the ecological niche of G. lacaitae growing in both open xeric and forest clearing habitats. We recorded floristic composition and plant cover and collected soil samples to measure water retention capacity, pH, organic matters and conductivity. Open xeric grasslands and forest clearings differ in plant cover, community composition, and microhabitat structure but not in plant diversity, mean soil conditions, or G. lacaitae cover. Key similarities in conditions allow this species to persist in woodlands that heterogenous enough to include clearings. Such habitats have value for conserving this species and should be sustained.

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Wild boar (Sus scrofa) increases species diversity of semidry grassland: Field experiment with simulated soil disturbances

Cited by 14 publications

References 38 publications

Northward range expansion of rooting ungulates decreases detritivore and predatory mite abundances in boreal forests

Northward range expansion of rooting ungulates decreases detritivore and predatory mite abundances in boreal forests

Local-scale habitat configuration makes a niche for wildlife encroaching into an urban landscape: grubbing sites of wild boar Sus scrofa in a city matrix

Heterogeneous forest structures favor persistence of the grassland Mediterranean geophyte Gagea lacaitae

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