Wild boar (Sus scrofa) increases species diversity of semidry grassland: Field experiment with simulated soil disturbances.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Foraging activities of wild boar (Sus scrofa) create small-scale soil disturbances in many different vegetation types. Rooting alters species composition by opening niches for less-competitive plants and, as a recurrent factor, becomes a part of the community disturbance regime. Vegetation responses to wild boar disturbance have mostly been studied in the boar's non-native range or in native forest, rather than in open habitats in the native range. We investigate the response of open European semidry grassland vegetation dominated by Brachypodium pinnatum to native wild boar pressure in an abandoned agricultural landscape.

Methods

To describe the disturbance regime, we repeatedly mapped rooted patches during a 5-year period. Additionally, to study th

SUBMITTER: Horcickova E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6405487 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature