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Trends of ungulate species in Europe: not all stories are equal
Cerri , Jacopo , Chirichella , Roberta , Arnold , Walter , Bartoš , Luděk , Borowik , Tomasz , Carranza , Juan , Chianucci , Francesco , Csányi , Sándor , Ericsson , Göran , Heurich , Marco , Kojola , Ilpo , Mysterud , Atle , Pokorny , Boštjan , Schmidt , Krzysztof , Šprem , Nikica , Vicente , Joaquín , Alagić , Ajša , Balčiauskas , Linas , Casaer , Jim , Cellina , Sandra , Done , Gundega , Find’o , Slavomír , Fonseca , Carlos M.M.S. , Gačić , Dragan P. , Melovski , Dime , Ozoliņš , Jânis , Papaioannou , Haritakis I. , Pusenius , Jyrki , Randveer , Tiit , Ruusila , Vesa , Saint-Andrieux , Christine , Veeroja , Rauno , Apollonio , Marco
hunting bags reforestation rural abandonment time-series analysis wild ungulates wildlife management
Mostra abstract
Wild ungulates have deep impacts on socio-ecological systems, and analyzing large-scale population trends in a multispecies set can identify their environmental and socio-economic drivers. We collected annual hunting bags (n = 11,046, period 1975–2018) of European roe deer, red deer, wild boar, fallow deer, mouflon, northern chamois and moose, across Europe. We identified different temporal trends in their hunting bags and evaluated the social and environmental drivers of their relative abundances. The number of harvested red deer and fallow deer, increased steadily across Europe, with minor differences among countries, despite variations in land use and climate. On the contrary, European roe deer harvests have decreased in six European countries since the late 1990s, probably due to landscape changes and locally also due to predation, interspecific competition, and/or increasing temperatures. Northern chamois harvests in Austria and Switzerland have decreased markedly, probably due to increasing temperatures, which decrease the survival of kids at high altitudes. Wild boar harvests have decreased in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since the African Swine Fever outbreak in 2013–2014. Minor differences emerged between countries adopting different management regimes for wild ungulates. While many studies pointed out landscape changes as the cornerstone for the increase in wild ungulates across Europe, our research emphasizes important species-specific differences. There is a need to predict how landscape dynamics, climate change and recovering large carnivores will affect populations of species already showing signs of decline, like the European roe deer or the northern chamois. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences 2026.
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2026
Rivista
Mammal Research
Dettagli
Vol. 71 (2)
DOI
Behaviour of Brown Bears Under Fluctuating Resource Availability
Tattoni , Clara , Corradini , Andrea , Chianucci , Francesco , Ciolli , Marco , Giusti , Roberta , Bragalanti , Natalia , Cagnacci , Francesca , Martinoli , Adriano , Preatoni , Damiano G. , Bisi , Francesco
alps beech mast damage home range maxent modelling ursus arctos
Mostra abstract
Mast seeding, the variable and intermittent production of seeds, has cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. This study explores its influence on the brown bear populations in the Italian Alps, focusing on beechnuts (Fagus sylvatica L.), the primary food source for bears in the region. Using historical data and field sampling, we estimated and mapped the annual seed biomass from 2007 to 2021 for the province of Trento. The energy content of beechnuts was assessed through high heating values, providing the caloric resources available. Data on beechnuts production, records of damages and GPS data from 16 Eurasian brown bears were integrated to perform a temporal and spatial analysis at home range and at landscape level. Standardised damages to beehives and livestock decreased during mast years, suggesting that bears met their trophic needs through natural food sources. In fact, bears used more agricultural areas and less beech forest during years of beech crop failure. At landscape level, agriculture and pasture areas close to beech forests and distant from cities showed a higher risk of damage, providing a tool to anticipate management actions. This work provides insights on the ecological dynamics and conservation implications of brown bears in the study area by mapping the spatial and temporal aspects of mast seeding and bear-related damages. © 2025 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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2025
Rivista
Ecology and Evolution
Dettagli
Vol. 15 (7)
DOI
Characterizing the climatic niche of mast seeding in beech: Evidences of trade-offs between vegetation growth and seed production
Bajocco , Sofia , Ferrara , Carlotta , Bascietto , Marco , Alivernini , Alessandro , Chirichella , Roberta , Cutini , Andrea , Chianucci , Francesco
phenology ndvi masting enfa landsat spei
Mostra abstract
Masting is a complex mechanism which is mainly driven by a combination of internal plant resources and climatic conditions. While the driving role of climate in masting is being intensively studied, the interplay among climate, seed production, vegetation growth and phenology still needs further investigation. The objectives of this study were to identify the climatic determinants of different levels of seed production and of NDVI-based vegetation growth and phenology in European beech, and to evaluate if exists a trade-off between these two plant processes. To answer these questions, we used a 25-year-long dataset of beech seed production. We exploited the concept of ecological niche assuming that a mast year can be modeled like a species with variable preferences for different resources, which are the underlying annual climatic conditions; we performed an Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA), a presence-only modeling tool conventionally used in zoology and botany, and used seasonal (spring, summer, autumn) Standardized Precipitation-Evaporation Index (SPEI) observations, considering the current year (y−0), and up to one (y−1) and two (y−2) years before the masting event. For analyzing the role of vegetation growth and phenology, we used seasonal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values and associated NDVI-based phenological metrics derived from Landsat imagery. Results indicated the driving role of climate for masting, especially in VHSP years. A moist summer and dry spring at y−2 and a dry summer at y−1 represented the main driving climatic conditions for masting; while a moist spring during the observation year represented the key condition for triggering higher intensities of seed production. Summer NDVI at y−0 and y−1 represented the variables discriminating best between masting and non-masting years and resulted as driven by opposite summer climatic conditions than seed production, thus indicating a trade-off between seed production and vegetation phenology. We concluded that reproduction and vegetation growth act as two different climate-dependent plant responses in beech, in a way that certain conditions through the years promote mast seeding and the opposite conditions favor vegetation growth. The understanding of climate-growth-masting relationships represents indispensable knowledge for providing a holistic view of masting mechanisms and developing adaptive forest management strategies in this species. © 2020
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2021
Rivista
Ecological Indicators
Dettagli
Vol. 121
DOI
Climate, tree masting and spatial behaviour in wild boar (Sus scrofa L.): insight from a long-term study
Bisi , Francesco , Chirichella , Roberta , Chianucci , Francesco , von Hardenberg , Jost Graf , Cutini , Andrea , Martinoli , Adriano , Apollonio , Marco
masting mast seeding apennine forests deciduous forests hunting management seed consumer
Mostra abstract
Key message: Climate factors affect seed biomass production which in turn influences autumn wild boar spatial behaviour. Adaptive management strategies require an understanding of both masting and its influence on the behaviour of pulsed resource consumers like wild boar. Context: Pulsed resources ecosystem could be strongly affected by climate. Disantangling the role of climate on mast seeding allow to understand a seed consumer spatial behaviour to design proper wildlife and forest management strategies. Aims: We investigated the relationship between mast seeding and climatic variables and we evaluated the influence of mast seeding on wild boar home range dynamics. Methods: We analysed mast seeding as seed biomass production of three broadleaf tree species (Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus cerris L., Castanea sativa Mill.) in the northern Apennines. Next, we explored which climatic variables affected tree masting patterns and finally we tested the effect of both climate and seed biomass production on wild boar home range size. Results: Seed biomass production is partially regulated by climate; high precipitation in spring of the current year positively affects seed biomass production while summer precipitation of previous year has an opposite effect. Wild boar home range size is negatively correlated to seed biomass production, and the climate only partially contributes to determine wild boar spatial behaviour. Conclusion: Climate factors influence mast seeding, and the negative correlation between wild boar home range and mast seeding should be taken into account for designing integrated, proactive hunting management. © 2018, INRA and Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.
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2018
Rivista
Annals of Forest Science
Dettagli
Vol. 75 (2)
DOI
Early and long-term impacts of browsing by roe deer in oak coppiced woods along a gradient of population density
Chianucci , Francesco , Mattioli , Luca , Amorini , Emilio , Giannini , Tessa , Marcon , Andrea , Chirichella , Roberta , Apollonio , Marco , Cutini , Andrea
capreolus capreolus coppice forest forest damage stool turkey oak
Mostra abstract
Over the last few decades, wild ungulate populations have exhibited relevant geographic and demographic expansion in most European countries; roe deer is amongst the most widespread ungulate species. The increasing roe deer densities have led to strong impact on forest regeneration; the problem has been recently recognized in coppice woods, a silvicultural system which is widespread in Italy, where it amounts to about 56% of the total national forested area. In this study we investigated the effect of roe deer browsing on the vegetative regeneration of Turkey oak few years after coppicing, along a gradient of roe deer density. A browsing index revealed that browsing impact was high at any given roe deer density but increased at higher density, with the browsing rate ranging from 65% to 79%. We also analyzed the long-term impact of browsing six and eleven years after coppicing under a medium roe deer density. Results indicated the early impact are not ephemeral but produced prolonged impacts through time, with an average reduction in volume of-57% and-41% six and eleven years after coppicing, respectively. Based on these results we proposed integrating browsing monitoring with roe deer density estimation to allow identifying ungulate densities which are compatible with silvicultural and forest management objectives. The proposed browsing index can be regarded as an effective management tool, on account of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, being therefore highly suitable for routine, large scale monitoring of browsing impact.
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2015
Rivista
Annals of Silvicultural Research
Dettagli
Vol. 39 (1) pp. 32 - 36
DOI
Reproductive phenology and conception synchrony in a natural wild boar population
Canu , Antonio , Scandura , Massimo , Merli , Enrico , Chirichella , Roberta , Bottero , Elisa , Chianucci , Francesco , Cutini , Andrea , Apollonio , Marco
reproduction breeding synchrony conception date estrus reproductive phenology sus scrofa
Mostra abstract
Reproductive synchrony among gregarious mammals has a strong adaptive value and may lead to cooperative behaviors aimed at maximizing offspring survival. Additionally, temporal clustering of estrus has important implications on individual mating tactics and ultimately affects the degree of polygamy in a population. Although several studies have examined the reproductive biology of wild boar (Sus scrofa), much remains to be understood about the patterns of timing and synchrony of reproduction in natural populations. We analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of conception dates in an Italian wild boar population taking into account the effects of environmental and individual factors, in order to determine the main variables influencing the timing of reproduction and to detect the signs of a socially-driven reproductive synchrony. Specifically, for each litter belonging to 354 pregnant sows culled between 2006 and 2013 in a mountain area of Tuscany, we determined the conception date (CD) from an estimate of the mean fetal age and the culling date. We then investigated which factors drove the variation in CD, by implementing linear mixed models, Mantel tests and spatial autocorrelation analyses. The selected model showed significant effects of rainfall, temperatures, and previous and current productivity on CD, as well as a strong correlation of CDs among sows culled in close spatial and temporal proximity (i.e., in the same hunting ground and hunting season). Likewise, autocorrelation analyses and Mantel tests consistently indicated that closer sows had similar conception dates. Overall, our results confirm the effect of resource availability and climate on wild boar reproductive phenology, and suggest socially-driven reproductive patterns, in spite of a high turn-over in social groups due to hunting. Finally, possible advantages and evolutionary implications of reproductive synchrony in wild boar are discussed. © 2015 Associazione Teriologica Italiana.
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2015
Rivista
Hystrix
Dettagli
Vol. 26 (2)
DOI
Mast seeding in deciduous forests of the northern Apennines (Italy) and its influence on wild boar population dynamics
Cutini , Andrea , Chianucci , Francesco , Chirichella , Roberta , Donaggio , Emanuela , Mattioli , Luca , Apollonio , Marco
forest management forest seed production game management pulsed resource silvicultural treatment sus scrofa l.
Mostra abstract
Context: Pulsed food resources may strongly affect the population dynamics of several consumer species, with consequences on the ecosystem. One of the most common pulsed resources is forest mast seeding. Aims: We analysed mast seeding in deciduous forests in a mountainous area of northern Apennines and its effect on population dynamics of wild boar (Sus scrofa L.). Methods: We performed a quantitative, 20-year analysis on annual seed production in Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.), beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) forest stands using litter traps. The wild boar population density was estimated by means of drive censuses and hunting bag records. The role of other biotic (density of predators) and abiotic (climate) factors potentially affecting wild boar mortality was also investigated. Results: Turkey oak and chestnut showed high levels of seed production, whereas lower levels were found in beech. The pulsed resources of chestnut and Turkey oak positively affected piglet density. Analyses also highlighted the influence of snow cover and wolves on wild boar population dynamics. Conclusion: Wild boar can be considered a pulse rate species, the management of which can be improved by annual monitoring of seed production. © 2013 INRA and Springer-Verlag France.
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2013
Rivista
Annals of Forest Science
Dettagli
Vol. 70 (5) pp. 493 - 502
DOI
Post fire natural regeneration monitoring with the integrated use of high resolution remotely sensed images: The case study of the Pineta di Castel Fusano; Monitoraggio della rinnovazione naturale post incendio tramite l'uso integrato di immagini telerilevate ad alta risoluzione: Il caso della pineta di Castel Fusano
Chirici , Gherardo , Balsi , Marco , Bertini , Roberta , Bonora , Nico , Chiavetta , U. , Ottaviano , Marco , Corona , P. , Lamonaca , Andrea , Giuliarelli , Diego , Mastronardi , Alessandro , Nardinocchi , Giovanni , Sambucini , Valter , Tonti , Daniela , Marchetti , Marco
remote sensing forest wildfires k-nearest neighbors natural re generation neural networks spatialisation
Mostra abstract
Stone pine stand of Castel Fusano (Rome) burnt on July the 4th 2000 during a huge wildfire. As a consequence of the fire an intensive natural sexual and asexual regeneration began. In order to monitor such a regeneration field surveys were carried out in 2003 and 2006 in sample plots. Remotely sensed high resolution images from Ikonos and Quick Bird were acquired for the same years. The purpose of this work is to test different methodologies for modeling existing relationships between remotely sensed images and ground collected data in order to estimate and to map both sexual and asexual regeneration. For such a purpose different methodologies were tested: step-wise Muliple Linear Regression, Neural Networks (Relevance-Vector-Machine and the Multi-Layered-Perceptron) and the k-Nearest-Neighbors. These activities were carried out within the framework of the GRINFOMED- MEDIFIRE also developing a specific software named Spatial Forest Modeler (SFM) able to analyze existing relationships between remotely sensed variables and data collected in the field in order to identify the best available models to map and estimate the studied variables acquired on the basis of a field sampling design. The present paper presents data collected in the field, analysis and modeling methods and achieved results. The SFM software is also presented.
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2008
Rivista
Italian Journal of Remote Sensing / Rivista Italiana di Telerilevamento
Dettagli
Vol. 40 (1) pp. 107 - 122
DOI