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Invasive wild boar in Argentina: using protected areas as a research platform to determine distribution, impacts and management

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Abstract

The wild boar is an invasive ecosystem engineer in Argentina that has lacked sufficient basic information to determine applied actions. The current distribution, impacts and management of this species were analyzed using the expert opinion surveys of protected area managers. The boar is widely distributed and occupies most of Argentina’s terrestrial ecoregions. Moreover, its populations are common, and its abundance is growing in most of the protected areas. Boars were recorded mostly in wetlands, forest and shrublands. Managers also reported a wide range of negative impacts, which included soil disturbance, vegetation damage and animal predation. Several control method types are used and in most protected areas, more than one are applied, but hunting was the most used technique. However, the effectiveness of control methods was low, suggesting the need of an urgent plan to define coordinated management actions to minimize the negative impacts of this species and also to prevent its expansion into new areas.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Christopher Anderson and M. Noelia Barrios-García for review and comment the early versions of the manuscript and three anonymous reviewers for comments that improved the quality of the manuscript. Daniel Dueñas helping us with the map (MAGRAF, CCT Mendoza). APN research through Permit N°orden DCM420 and all the protected areas who have responded to our survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CONICET, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi (CENAC) - Administración de Parques Nacionales, Fagnano 244, 8400, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

    Sebastián A. Ballari

  2. Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad (GiB), IADIZA, CCT CONICET Mendoza, CC 507, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina

    M. Fernanda Cuevas

  3. The Conservation Land Trust Argentina, CC 45, 3470, Estancia Rincón del Socorro, Corrientes, Argentina

    Sebastián Cirignoli

  4. Southern Patagonia Coordination Office, Argentine National Parks Administration, San Martín 1395, 9410, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

    Alejandro E. J. Valenzuela

  5. National University of Tierra del Fuego, Onas 450, 9410, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

    Alejandro E. J. Valenzuela

Authors
  1. Sebastián A. Ballari
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  2. M. Fernanda Cuevas
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  3. Sebastián Cirignoli
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  4. Alejandro E. J. Valenzuela
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sebastián A. Ballari.

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Ballari, S.A., Cuevas, M.F., Cirignoli, S. et al. Invasive wild boar in Argentina: using protected areas as a research platform to determine distribution, impacts and management. Biol Invasions 17, 1595–1602 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0818-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-014-0818-7

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