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1 May 2015 Conifer plantations negatively affect density of wild boars in a Mediterranean ecosystem
Jerónimo Torres-Porras, Pedro Fernández-Llario, Juan Carranza, Concha Mateos
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Abstract

Several decades ago, large areas of the Iberian Peninsula were planted with allochthonous tree species for timber production among other reasons. This severe habitat transformation is likely to affect a large spectrum of the biodiversity in the area. The wild boar Sus scrofa is a widely distributed large mammal, for which population density can be estimated on the basis of hunting results relative to effort in each area. Our goal was to analyze the influence of pine plantations on the relative density of this species in Southern Spain. Based on data obtained from hunts, we found that the relative density of wild boar was negatively related to the relative area covered by pine trees. Our results support a negative effect of pine plantations on wild boar density and indicate that restoration and conservation of native oak forests can favour not only biodiversity but also the maintenance of wild boar populations.

Jerónimo Torres-Porras, Pedro Fernández-Llario, Juan Carranza, and Concha Mateos "Conifer plantations negatively affect density of wild boars in a Mediterranean ecosystem," Folia Zoologica 64(1), 25-31, (1 May 2015). https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.v64.i1.a3.2015
Received: 7 October 2014; Accepted: 1 February 2015; Published: 1 May 2015
KEYWORDS
hunting
pine plantations
population distribution
Sus scrofa
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