TY - JOUR
T1 - Feral pigs in a temperate rainforest ecosystem
T2 - disturbance and ecological impacts
AU - Krull, Cheryl
AU - CHOQUENOT, David
AU - Burns, Bruce
AU - Stanley, Margaret
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are a widespread invasive species, and cause biotic disturbance. This study evaluated the impacts associated with ground disturbance by feral pigs in the North Island of New Zealand. Exclosure cages were erected over feral pigdisturbed ground and visually undisturbed ground (the latter as controls). Buried resin bags and litter bags were located in these plots to examine differences in soil nutrients and decomposition rates and seedling/ sapling recruitment (abundance, species composition and richness) was monitored over 21 months. No difference was found in the litter decomposition between the disturbed and visually undisturbed plots. Significantly more nitrate (NO3-N/NO2-N) was found in the disturbed exclosures. Seedling density was not significantly affected by feral pig disturbance. However, seedling/sapling species richness was lower in disturbed areas. Species composition changes occurred at disturbed sites with species increasing and decreasing in density after feral pig disturbance. However, no pattern was observed between species that were negatively affected by feral pig disturbance. This study shows that feral pig disturbance affects vegetation through direct removal, but also indirectly through increased nitrate, potentially leading to seedling and sapling species composition changes. Feral pigs are known to return to previously disturbed areas to re-disturb. These areas may remain in a redisturbed state if not protected, and through continued disturbance and increased nitrate, ecosystem changes may occur, especially in characteristically nutrient poor environments.
AB - Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are a widespread invasive species, and cause biotic disturbance. This study evaluated the impacts associated with ground disturbance by feral pigs in the North Island of New Zealand. Exclosure cages were erected over feral pigdisturbed ground and visually undisturbed ground (the latter as controls). Buried resin bags and litter bags were located in these plots to examine differences in soil nutrients and decomposition rates and seedling/ sapling recruitment (abundance, species composition and richness) was monitored over 21 months. No difference was found in the litter decomposition between the disturbed and visually undisturbed plots. Significantly more nitrate (NO3-N/NO2-N) was found in the disturbed exclosures. Seedling density was not significantly affected by feral pig disturbance. However, seedling/sapling species richness was lower in disturbed areas. Species composition changes occurred at disturbed sites with species increasing and decreasing in density after feral pig disturbance. However, no pattern was observed between species that were negatively affected by feral pig disturbance. This study shows that feral pig disturbance affects vegetation through direct removal, but also indirectly through increased nitrate, potentially leading to seedling and sapling species composition changes. Feral pigs are known to return to previously disturbed areas to re-disturb. These areas may remain in a redisturbed state if not protected, and through continued disturbance and increased nitrate, ecosystem changes may occur, especially in characteristically nutrient poor environments.
KW - Feral hog
KW - Sus scrofa
KW - Disturbance
KW - Impacts
KW - Exclosure
KW - Regeneration.
U2 - 10.1007/s10530-013-0444-9
DO - 10.1007/s10530-013-0444-9
M3 - Article
SN - 1387-3547
VL - 15
SP - 2193
EP - 2204
JO - Biological Invasions
JF - Biological Invasions
ER -