Crop Harvesting Can Affect Habitat Selection of Wild Boar ( Sus scrofa )

Bartłomiej Popczyk, Daniel Klich (), Paweł Nasiadka, Maria Sobczuk, Wanda Olech, Piotr Kociuba, Krzysztof Gadkowski and Ludwik Purski
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Bartłomiej Popczyk: Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
Daniel Klich: Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
Paweł Nasiadka: Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Maria Sobczuk: Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
Wanda Olech: Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
Piotr Kociuba: Institute of Mathematics, Informatics and Landscape Architecture, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1H, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
Krzysztof Gadkowski: GIGACO Ltd., Świeradowska 47, 02-662 Warsaw, Poland
Ludwik Purski: GIGACO Ltd., Świeradowska 47, 02-662 Warsaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-9

Abstract: One of the basics of effectively managing a wild boar population is knowledge of its home range, spatial patterns, and habitat use. However, little is known about the reaction of wild boar to changes in the agricultural landscape during the time of harvesting. In this study, we assessed the impact of crop harvesting on habitat selection of wild boar. For this reason, we analyzed radio-collared animals in four summer months (from June to September) in an agricultural landscape in Poland. We analyzed the habitat selection by wild boar with a generalized linear model and Jacob’s selectivity index. The wild boar preference for arable land, pastures and the “other” category showed clear monthly dynamics. In contrast, a stable preference for forests and mosaics was observed throughout all months. The preference of wild boar to arable land dropped significantly in August, which we interpret as the impact of the harvest. We conclude that intensive agriculture contributes to significant changes in the frequency of wild boar in various habitats. This, however, does not apply to all habitats, because forest habitats are constantly visited by wild boar as their main daytime refuge. Moreover, extensive farming, although less attractive for wild boar, is rather neutral and does not alter the abundance of animals in habitats.

Keywords: wild boar; habitat selection; crop harvesting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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