Forecasting the range expansion of a recolonising wild boar Sus scrofa population

Abstract

Recolonising native mammals have the potential to cause environmental and agricultural damage. However, if their future distribution can be predicted, effective control measures can be scheduled beforehand to prevent the onset of damage. In this study, we predicted the future range expansion of recolonising wild boar Sus scrofa populations in the Chiba Prefecture, Japan, using simulations. Wild boars were extinct in the Chiba Prefecture until the 1970s, but since then, a new naturalised population has spread, probably due to release for hunting. Recently a small, isolated, naturalised population was found in the northern part of the prefecture, which was considered to be a new release. We divided the Chiba Prefecture (5,156 km2) into 3‐km grids and, based on nuisance control records, we examined the ‘presence’ of wild boar populations from 2002 to 2007 and in 2010. We simultaneously estimated habitat suitability and dispersal probability of the source population via range‐expasion modelling. We predicted the future distribution by the use of stochastic simulations for 20 years after 2010. According to the simulations, the wild boar populations will expand into the southern and northern regions of the Chiba Prefecture at a rate of 2,153 km/year, and crop damage should be expected in these areas in the future. Range expansion into the northern region of the prefecture will be completed by around 2025. If the northern isolated population is removed, it will be possible to delay the range expansion for about five years. The eradication of a small isolated population in the northern Chiba Prefecture may have significant economic benefits because the crop production in this area is relatively large.