Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Home Range and Habitat Use in Two Romanian Habitats

Abstract

Abstract During our research we utilized data provided by GPS collars to compare the spatial patterns of wild boars living in lowland and high-hilly regions. Five wild boars were fitted with GPS Plus (Vectronic) type collars. The two aforementioned investigated habitat areas were as follows: a high-hilly hunting ground from the foot of the Bodoc Mountains (Covasna County), and the meeting point of Olt and Danube rivers in the southern part of the country (Teleorman County). The average daily wild boar activity varied between 2.9 and 3.1 km in the lowlands and between 3.6 and 4.9 km in the higher situated habitats. The average daily movement area calculated with the minimum convex polygon method was between 60.3 and 112.5 ha/day in the lowlands and between 113.5 and 125.2 ha/day in the high-hilly regions. The movement area of the wild boars calculated with the MCP method varied between 1,060 and 1,2001 hectares in lowlands and between 8,689 and 9,463 hectares in higher altitudes. Our data proved inadequate at testing whether or not large carnivores affect wild boar activity patterns. Habitat use analysis produced interesting results: even in a very diverse habitat, every collared individual preferred green forests. We found negative preference for agricultural fields in both habitats.