Veinte años de seguimiento poblacional de ungulados silvestres de Aragón

The remarkable increase of wild ungulates populations in Aragon during the last 50 years, both in numbers and distribution, has made population monitoring a need for effective management of these species. In parallel to their raising numbers, problems related to crop damage and collisions with vehicles are growing. In this situation there has been a shift in the management goals from conservation to population control. Different methods have been used in the surveys: postal enquiries for distribution, battues, distance sampling, night spotlight surveys and indirect ones based on transect and plot counts of pellet groups. Surveys started in 1985 for red deer, 1990 for wild boar and Iberian wild goat, 1995 for chamois and 2002 for roe deer, gradually becoming a population monitoring program. The surveys are carried out by rangers and wildlife consultants under the coordination and supervision of the Fish and Game Service of the Aragon Government. The ungulate populations are still growing (wild boar, wild goat, red and roe deer), are relatively stabilised (fallow deer, feral goat), fluctuate due to diseases (chamois) or show small populations limited to fenced states (Barbary sheep, mouflon). Hunting bags went from 1,100 to 36,000 during an eleven-year period (1990-2009): 303 chamois, 1,173 wild goats, 2,141 roe deer, 2,424 red deer and 29,595 wild boars, showing a trend which is still increasing. The main tool is therefore hunting quota and its verification through hunting bags declarations, damages to crops and car crashes, and population trend and abundance.La importante expansión de las poblaciones de ungulados silvestres en Aragón desde los años 50 del siglo XX hasta la actualidad, tanto en superficie ocupada como en abundancia de ejemplares, ha hecho necesario el seguimiento de las mismas para su adecuada gestión. Su incremento en las dos últimas décadas, junto con el importante aumento de daños agrícolas y colisiones con vehículos, ha motivado un importante cambio en los criterios gestores; pasando de la conservación y fomento al control e incluso reducción de efectivos. Los métodos utilizados para el seguimiento de las poblaciones fueron: encuestas quincenales de distribución, batidas, muestreos de distancia, captura – recaptura, fareos nocturnos y muestreos indirectos basados en el conteo de grupos de excrementos en transectos y parcelas fijas. Los seguimientos se comenzaron a realizar en 1985 en el caso del ciervo, 1990 en el jabalí y cabra montesa, 1995 en el sarrio y 2002 en el corzo, habiéndose convertido paulatinamente en una verdadera monitorización poblacional. Los seguimientos son realizados por Agentes de Protección de la Naturaleza del Gobierno de Aragón y asistencias técnicas externas, bajo la supervisión y coordinación de los responsables administrativos. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que, algunas poblaciones continúan su expansión e incremento (jabalí, ciervo, corzo, cabra montesa), otras se encuentran relativamente estabilizadas (gamo, cabra doméstica asilvestrada), y unas pocas fluctúan debido a enfermedades (sarrio) o muestran presencias testimoniales prácticamente reducidas a cercados (arruí, muflón). Las capturas declaradas han pasado de 1.100 a 36.000 en 11 años (1999-2009): 303 sarrios, 1.173 cabras montesas, 2.141 corzos, 2.424 ciervos y 29.595 jabalíes, con una tendencia al incremento que aún no ha finalizado. El instrumento fundamental por lo tanto son los cupos de caza y su verificación se realiza a partir de las declaraciones de capturas, los daños a la agricultura y accidentes automovilísticos y la tendencia y abundancia poblacional

Wild boar battues reduce crop damages in a protected area

Agricultural damages caused by wild boar Sus scrofa have given farmers a negative impression of protected areas and their management. To mitigate those damages and the social conflicts that they create, hunting battues involving experienced local hunters were used as a lethal population control method in a protected Iberian wetland. In the Ebro Sotos and Galachos Nature Reserve, Spain, between 1994 and 2011, 259 wild boars were culled during 476 battues. On average, battues involved six hunters and ten dogs, and culling efficiency (number of animals killed per animals seen during battues) was 39 %. The number of battues per year and the area of crop damages caused by wild boar were significantly negatively correlated, demonstrating battue efficiency to decrease damages. Moreover, intermittent population control through culling led to a substantial increase in the wild boar population, with an increase in crop damages. This underlines the importance of constant control. The numbers of hunters and dogs and the number of wild boar seen during battues were strongly correlated. To minimize the conflicts between farmers and the management of protected areas, we suggest that the inexpensive, volunteer-based population control program could be enhanced by incorporating stalking and mobile electric fences.This research was part of a long-term culling program in the Ebro Sotos and Galachos Nature Reserve that was implemented by the Regional Government of Aragon, which provided financial support

What Do We Know About Wild Boar in Iberia?

Editors: Francesco Maria Angelici, Lorenzo Rossi.Wild boar is an important species throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and populations exist from sea level to elevations of >2000 m in high mountain environments, which reflects its incredible ability to adapt to a wide range of natural and cultural environments. To summarize the scientific and management knowledge on this species in Portugal and Spain, we reviewed 174 published and unpublished texts written since 1914. Research has progressed from descriptive studies toward applied ecology, which has focused on the problem that species poses to its environment. We identified six main fields of study interest and potential wild boar conflict: (i) the role of the species in natural and semi-natural ecosystems, (ii) agricultural damages, (iii) car accidents, (iv) disease transmission and reservoir, (v) hunt and control, and (vi) urban wild boars. The ability of wild boar to adapt to and transform a wide variety of ecosystems has to be monitored carefully, particularly within the context of adaptive management in natural areas. The lack of a rapid response causes high social and economic costs, and the problem has worsened. The increase in the frequency of interactions between humans and wild boars underscores the importance of management actions that address not only the wild boar populations but also human behaviour and the avoidance of risk situations, e.g. urban wild boars and traffic collisions, which includes environmental education