Rooting for Rewilding: Quantifying Wild Boar's Sus scrofa Rooting Rate in the Scottish Highlands

• Published in: Restoration ecology Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 329 - 335
• Main Authors: Sandom, Christopher J., Hughes, Joelene, Macdonald, David W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.05.2013; Wiley; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Agricultural and farming systems; agroforestry; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal populations; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Caledonian pine forest; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Cost analysis; disturbance ecology; ecosystem engineer; ecosystem function; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; Environmental restoration; Forestry; Forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; General forest ecology; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; Habitats; Population density; restoration ecology; Sus scrofa; Wildlife; United Kingdom; Scotland; Great Britain; Europe; Western Europe; British Isles, Scotland, Highland; disturbance ecology; Wild animal; Pinus; Ecosystem; Gymnospermae; Ecological recovery; Rooting; Ungulata; ecosystem function; restoration ecology; Ecology; Woody plant; Perturbation; Biological activity; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Caledonian pine forest; Coniferales; Spermatophyta; Ecosystem functioning; Artiodactyla; Sus scrofa; Ecosystem engineer; Agroforestry; Coniferous forest
• ISSN: 1061-2971; 1526-100X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100X.2012.00904.x

Rewilding is emerging as a promising framework within restoration ecology to help restore ecosystem function through species reintroduction. To manage effectively such projects it is necessary to predict and quantify the interactions between the reintroduced species and their environment. To date, this has not been a priority in restoration ecology. Here, we quantify wild boar's rooting rate at a range of stocking densities to explore their potential to aid the restoration of the Caledonian pine forest in the Scottish Highlands by reinvigorating the disturbance regime. Eleven enclosures of c. 0.5 ha within heather moorland, dominated by Caluna vulgaris, were used, situated on the Alladale Wilderness Reserve, 50 km north‐west of Inverness. Stocking densities varied between 4 and 15 boar/ha. The accumulation of rooted area was recorded weekly over a 13‐week period. A cost analysis was performed to compare the use of wild boar with other ground preparation techniques. The median per capita rooting rate was 42.4 m2/week (interquartile range [IQR] 45.5), but rooting rate varied temporally. Median rooting rates varied between 21.6 and 75.3 m2/week (IQR 5.6) in periods that varied in suitability for rooting. Rooting rates were consistent across stocking densities. The cost of using wild boar as a ground preparation tool ranged between £184 and £1,961 per hectare depending on stocking density and rate of rooting. This experiment has direct application for managing the impact of wild boar within free range farming conditions, managed woodland regeneration schemes, rewilding projects, and in the wild.