Seasonal spatial ecology of the wild boar in a peri-urban area

Abstract

The parallel expansion of anthropogenic environments and wild boar Sus scrofa populations has favoured the intrusion of the species into many European metropolitan areas, including Rome. In this study, we used Maxent to analyse the seasonal spatial ecology of the wild boar in Marcigliana natural reserve, a rural area located in the northeastern suburbs of Rome. The wild boar avoided urban settlements year-round. In the growing season, it had a higher probability of occurring with an increasing presence of turkey oak Quercus cerrioides woods, but seemed to be partially adapted to the presence of arable lands, which had a marked negative effect only when very abundant. These results lead us to hypothesise that the species in this part of the year adopts a spatial strategy which optimises the trade-off among the need for thermal cover and food resources. In autumn and winter, the species avoided meadows and pastures. The analysis of wild boar spatial ecology in metropolitan areas is essential to provide important information contributing to the development of effective plans for managing peri-urban populations and mitigating conflicts with humans.