Evaluation of different soil parameters and wild boar (Sus scrofa [L.]) grassland damage

Abstract

Presented in this paper are the correlations between different soil parameters [presence of grubs, earthworms, pH, content of P2O5, K2O and organic matter (OM) in soil] and wild boar (Sus scrofa [L.]) damage to grasslands. The soil samples and damage assessments were performed at six locations in the Kočevje region, which is a densely wooded part of South East Slovenia. A significant positive correlation was discovered between the extent of damage due to wild boar rooting in grasslands and the number of grubs (r=0.73), the weight of grubs (r=0.69) and the content of P2O5 (r=0.87) in the soil. The quantity and weight of grubs in soil were significantly influenced by soil pH, the content of CaCl2 (r=0.71/0.72), P2O5 (r=0.90/0.91), and OM (r=0.74/0.77); while the quantity and weight of earthworms in soil were influenced by the content of K2O (r=0.81/-0.84). A moderate yet insignificant correlation (r=0.48/0.56) was discovered between the number and weight of earthworms in soil and the extent of grassland damage. Grubs represent a more important source of protein for wild boars than earthworms; consequently, reducing the quantity of grubs in soil could minimise the extent of damage caused by boars.