Factors influencing wild boar damage to agricultural crops in Sardinia (Italy)

• 来源期刊: 动物学报（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2017,（5）
• 页码范围: 507-514
• 页数: 8页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow099

摘要

Crop damage by wildlife is a frequent source of human-wildlife conflict.Understanding which factors increase the risk of damage is crucial to the development of effective management strategies.The aims of this study were to provide a general description of agricultural damage caused by wild boar Sus scrofa meridionalis over a 7-year period in North-eastern Sardinia (Mediterranean Italy),and to formulate a predictive model of damage risk.We recorded a total of 221 cases of wild boar damage,with economic losses amounting to 483,982 Euros.Damage events mostly involved vineyards,meadows and oat fields,and were characterized by a peak incidence in summer and early autumn,and a minimum in spring.Damaged fields were characterized by an increasing presence of permanent crops,a decreasing presence of woodlands,maquis and urban areas,and a reduced distance from shelter areas (forests and shrublands).The analysis of spatiotemporal variation of boar-induced damage and the identification of factors that augment the risk of damage provides essential information for contributing to the development of a more effective plan for managing wild boar populations.