Intensive Hunting Pressure Changes Local Distribution of Wild Boar

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is now an important species of wild ungulates in Central Europe. Next to conflicts of wild boar with agriculture, the main threat of wild boar presence lies in the expansion of African swine fever across Europe. The regulation of the wild boar population is complicated by the high reproduction rate and intelligent behavior of the species, which limits hunting effectiveness. We analyzed the spatial behavior of wild boar in an environment with a lack of natural food resources. The study area consisted of a forest complex (1,283 ha) with 2 areas. In the “risk” area, wild boar were intensively hunted, and in the “refuge” area, the hunting pressure was much lower. The distribution of wild boar was not regular within the study area. The wild boar density was higher in the refuge area than in the risk area. Even in times of food shortage, wild boar avoided the area where obtaining quality food was associated with a high risk of being killed. The conclusion applies to the winter season and an environment where the wild boar can become sufficiently fattened in the crop fields in the summer. For effective control of wild boar populations, it is therefore essential to organize the coordination of hunting pressure evenly in large areas

The Influence of Forestry Management on the Selection of a Non-Vegetative Diet by the Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber L.)

Native ecosystems have been transformed by humans into cultural landscapes, resulting in the disruption of natural interactions, with some species unable to adapt and disappearing from such landscapes. Other species were able to adapt their behavior to current environmental conditions. In some places, forest management has gradually transformed native diversified forests into stands converted for the greatest profit in the wood matter, thereby affecting the food availability for herbivores, among them the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758). This study summarizes knowledge on non-vegetation diet selection by beavers in commercial and natural forests in the Czech Republic. A sample size of 25,723 woody plant specimens checked in 288 forest stands showed that beavers prefer willow, poplar, or hazel, but where these are less available, commercial tree species such as oak may dominate the diet and cause economic losses in forestry. Significant differences were also observed in a preference for different trunk diameters and distances from water in different types of stands. In terms of stand types, commercial monocultures are the most felled, while the probability of felling decreases with the age of stands. Based on these results and discussion, it is suggested that commercial forest stands including economically valuable woody plant species (e.g., oak, ash) could be protected through appropriate management measures, such as increasing the proportion of deciduous softwood stands along the riverbanks, which would distract the beavers from commercial woody plant species.O

Reproductive characteristics of wild boar males (Sus scrofa) under different environmental conditions

The wild boar population has been on a permanent increase over the last decades, causing conflicts with the requirements of modern human society. Existing effort to stabilize wild boar numbers generally fails with one of the causes being the high reproductive potential of wild boar. The aim of this study was to assess the onset of sexual maturity in wild boar males with regard to age, physical frame and environmental conditions on the basis of testicle development and sperm production. This study assessed the dimensions of gonads and the occurrence of sperm in boars caught during common hunts. Environmental conditions were found as an important factor for growth and sexual maturity of wild boar males. The body weight was a more important factor for sperm production than the age of young wild boar males. The weight threshold for sperm production in the testes was 29 kg of live weight, which corresponds to 6 months of age on average. This study has proven that environmental conditions are a significant factor affecting the physical development of male wild boars, more specifically the growth rate of their body frames and the onset of sexual maturity. In a better quality environment boars grow faster and enter puberty at an earlier age. Poor food supply and/or high hunting pressure result in slower body and testicular growth, as well as the production of sperm at a later age (approx. 2-3 months later).O

Report based on comparison of case studies in different wild boar populations representative of the different management and habitat conditions across Europe

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Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape

Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely. Under higher human activity, mammals were less active in undeveloped areas but unexpectedly more active in developed areas while exhibiting greater nocturnality. Carnivores were most sensitive, showing the strongest decreases in activity and greatest increases in nocturnality. Wildlife managers must consider how habituation and uneven sensitivity across species may cause fundamental differences in human–wildlife interactions along gradients of human influence.Peer reviewe

Stanovení početnosti volně žijících živočichů jako základ mysliveckého a lesnického hospodaření

The results of several studies whose theme was population density of game and the possibility of its estimation were summarized in this paper. Population density is one of the most important characteristics of animal population, especially in relation to the proper sustainable wildlife management. The first study dealt with verification technology of the Game Management Plan for selected ungulate species in the Czech Rep. Further work compared four different methods of counting and the appropriateness of using on the example of wild boar in the forest environment. The following two papers tested the possibility of using the method of dung counting for estimating the numbers of wild boar in the forest environment. Recent work has dealt with the study of the distribution of faeces of wild boar, depending on the different hunting management within two neighbouring hunting grounds. The first study found that the hunting planning in the Czech Republic is not suitable for all ungulate game species. Photo traps could be used to estimate the abundance of wild boar only in combination with other independent methods. Dung counting is a suitable method for estimating the numbers of wild boar. Dung counting could be also used to specify the spatial activity of wild boar in the forest environment

Analysis of accuracy of hunting plan in the Czech Republic

This article analyses data on the reported and captured populations of red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama) and mouflon (Ovis musimon) in the Czech Republic during the years 2002–2006. Breeding and hunting plans collected by the State Hunting Authority have been summarized. The analyzed game population size (APS) for each individual territory, using the reverse calculation method, was compared to the counted population size (CPS) of each species. Next, the ratios between the specified population size (SPS) and the CPS were compared; and also the ratios of CPS and actual hunting bag were compared for individual years in the specified periods. Many errors in hunting management policy were found in all analyses regarding red deer. In many cases the APS, using the reverse calculation method, was several-times higher than the CPS. Also a large difference between SPS and CPS was very common. Similar results were also found in the analyses of fallow deer and mouflon populations, where the management policy was very similar to that of red deer. Evaluation of the roe deer management policy showed better results. Despite the fact that the APS was higher than the CPS, it was never several-times higher. Even in SPS and CPS ratios no extreme outcomes were found. From the official processed data it is evident that hunting association plans for game breeding and hunting indicate many significant problems, where the smallest problem is with roe deer and the biggest problem is with red deer