Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.
Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.
Sci Total Environ. 2016 Jan 15;541:877-882. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.128. Epub 2015 Oct 2.
The wild boar population has increased enormously in all of Europe over the last decades and caused problems like crop damage, transmission of diseases, and vehicle accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the underlying causes of this increase in order to be able to manage populations effectively. The purpose of this study was to analyse how environmental (food and climate) and physiological factors (maternal weight and age) as well as hunting and population density influence the litter size of wild boar populations in Northern Germany. The mean litter size in the studied population for the whole period was 6.6 (range 1–12), which is one of the highest in all of Europe. Litter size was positively influenced by maternal body weight, higher mast yield of oak as well as higher temperature in combination with higher precipitation in summer. Only higher temperature or only higher precipitation in summer however had a negative effect on litter size production. Probably,weather and food conditions act via maternal bodyweight on the litter size variation in wild boar. Hunting as well a s population density did not affect the litter size variation in this study which might indicate that wild boar population did not reach carrying capacity yet.
在过去几十年中，整个欧洲的野猪数量大幅增加，给农作物造成了破坏，还传播了疾病，引发了交通事故。因此，有必要研究这种增长的根本原因，以便能够有效地管理种群。本研究的目的是分析环境（食物和气候）和生理因素（母体体重和年龄）以及狩猎和种群密度如何影响德国北部野猪种群的产仔数。在整个研究期间，研究种群的平均产仔数为 6.6（范围 1-12），这在整个欧洲是最高的之一。产仔数与母体体重、橡果的高产量以及夏季高温和高降雨量呈正相关。然而，夏季仅高温或仅高降雨量对产仔数有负面影响。可能是天气和食物条件通过母体体重对野猪的产仔数变化产生了影响。在本研究中，狩猎和种群密度对产仔数的变化没有影响，这可能表明野猪种群尚未达到承载能力。
