The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario
Hunting is a method commonly used in several European countries to reduce crop damages by wild boar <i>Sus scrofa</i>. However, results are still controversial and poorly treated. Using data on official claims (i.e., damages to crops) and wild boar local counts and hunting bags collected...
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/1/42 |
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| author | Valentina Cecchini Marcello Franchini Michele Benfatto Stefano Filacorda Mirco Corazzin Stefano Bovolenta |
| author_facet | Valentina Cecchini Marcello Franchini Michele Benfatto Stefano Filacorda Mirco Corazzin Stefano Bovolenta |
| author_sort | Valentina Cecchini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hunting is a method commonly used in several European countries to reduce crop damages by wild boar <i>Sus scrofa</i>. However, results are still controversial and poorly treated. Using data on official claims (i.e., damages to crops) and wild boar local counts and hunting bags collected from 2019 to 2022, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of the hunting system (divided into eradication and non-eradication areas) carried out in the north-east of Italy on the number of agricultural damages. The spatio-temporal distribution of wild boar hunting, density and damages as well as the effect of hunting, were evaluated through the hotspot analysis and the zero-inflated models, respectively. The results obtained revealed no clear spatial overlap among wild boar hunting, wild boar density and damages to agriculture in both the eradication and non-eradication areas. Moreover, the current level of harvesting did not significantly affect the number of agricultural damages. A multifaceted approach focused on the numeric control of the species based on accurate local counts and oriented towards more age classes in a similar percentage should be preferred to mitigate damages to cultivars. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:13:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b3e3b041166f49828616b960a69544a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:13:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-b3e3b041166f49828616b960a69544a02024-01-10T14:50:03ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-12-011414210.3390/ani14010042The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case ScenarioValentina Cecchini0Marcello Franchini1Michele Benfatto2Stefano Filacorda3Mirco Corazzin4Stefano Bovolenta5Department of Agrifood, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyDepartment of Agrifood, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyHunting Service and Fishing Resources, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Via Sabbadini 31, 33100 Udine, ItalyDepartment of Agrifood, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyDepartment of Agrifood, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyDepartment of Agrifood, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, ItalyHunting is a method commonly used in several European countries to reduce crop damages by wild boar <i>Sus scrofa</i>. However, results are still controversial and poorly treated. Using data on official claims (i.e., damages to crops) and wild boar local counts and hunting bags collected from 2019 to 2022, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of the hunting system (divided into eradication and non-eradication areas) carried out in the north-east of Italy on the number of agricultural damages. The spatio-temporal distribution of wild boar hunting, density and damages as well as the effect of hunting, were evaluated through the hotspot analysis and the zero-inflated models, respectively. The results obtained revealed no clear spatial overlap among wild boar hunting, wild boar density and damages to agriculture in both the eradication and non-eradication areas. Moreover, the current level of harvesting did not significantly affect the number of agricultural damages. A multifaceted approach focused on the numeric control of the species based on accurate local counts and oriented towards more age classes in a similar percentage should be preferred to mitigate damages to cultivars.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/1/42agro-livestock systemcrophuman–wildlife conflictofficial claims<i>Sus scrofa</i> |
| spellingShingle | Valentina Cecchini Marcello Franchini Michele Benfatto Stefano Filacorda Mirco Corazzin Stefano Bovolenta The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario Animals agro-livestock system crop human–wildlife conflict official claims <i>Sus scrofa</i> |
| title | The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario |
| title_full | The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario |
| title_short | The Effect of the Wild Boar Hunting System on Agricultural Damages: The North-East of Italy as a Case Scenario |
| title_sort | effect of the wild boar hunting system on agricultural damages the north east of italy as a case scenario |
| topic | agro-livestock system crop human–wildlife conflict official claims <i>Sus scrofa</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/1/42 |
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