Abstract
The aim of the present study is to determine the effects of wild boar (Sus scrofa) on farming activities in Samsun, Turkey. The presence and damages of wild boar was monitored by means of direct and indirect observations. Wild boar was the main cause of the decision made by farmers, concerning which area they want to cultivate. Intensity of damage was high in areas close to the woodland areas. Crops losses, from areas close to woodland (up to 100 m), contributed to more than 60% of the total losses for each crop. Some farmed areas, especially those areas located in the nearest woodland, were given up to agricultural activities due to the wild boar damages, particularly in the last five years. Before this date, wild boar population has a very low rate and damages were only one or two reports in one farming season. Wild boar population was determined by the point counts method. Population size of wild boar was counted as 64 individuals and wild boar density was determined as 7.11 individual 100 ha -1 . This case study showed that wild boar damages were the main subject that shaped farming
Highlights
IntroductionAgricultural crops often occurred with high frequency in the diet and were consumed in large volumes
In continental Europe, the wild boar was often associated with crop damage
The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of wild boar damages on local people farming activities in Samsun, Turkey
Summary
Agricultural crops often occurred with high frequency in the diet and were consumed in large volumes. Where crops were present in the diet, quantitative differences between studies suggested that their consumption depended, to a large extent, on availability (Schley and Roper, 2003). Wild boar damages agricultural crops and grassland by rooting or by directly feeding on crops, such as maize, cereals or potatoes (Mackin, 1970; Genov, 1981; Dardaillon, 1986; Schley and Roper, 2003). Use of open habitats, such as agricultural land, is influenced by seasonal changes in foraging patterns (Mackin, 1970; Dardaillon, 1986; Boitani et al, 1994). Wild boar prefers woodland and other natural or semi-natural habitats as safe resting sites (Spitz and Janeau, 1990; Gerard, et al, 1991; Boitani, et al, 1994)
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