Zoning and wild boar management: a multi-criteria approach to planning

Wild boar Sus scrofa management is a central issue in Europe, particularly in Italy. The problem mainly concerns the impact of wild boar on natural (protected areas) and artificial habitats (cultivated lands), and the demands of hunters, which result in a social conflict. Our study was conducted in Siena Province (central Italy), and mainly aimed to identify areas for hierarchically actions based on both objective and subjective criteria. We collected all available data regarding counts, harvest and hunting effort on the wild boar population (1988-1999), and on damage to cultivation (1996-1999). We performed a habitat analysis by the use of a GIS and numerical data, defining, by means of cluster analysis, 3 homogeneous habitat classes in terms of wooded/natural areas and cultivated lands (cultivated, intermediate, wooded). Subsequently, to better define habitat suitability for the wild boar we used Multiple Logistic Regression. We then formulated an expert model for indexing the vulnerability to damage of each cultivation type, on the basis of the entity and occurrence of damage. All the models were then applied to the Siena Province, and results have been combined in a simple expert model of sustainability, to identify areas of different management priorities. As this approach links both objective predictions gained from different quality field data, and expert and managers criteria coming form political and economic constraints, we believe it to be a useful tool for planning management strategies