Brown, P. Warmer winters boost Europe’s wild boar. Retrieved August 23, 2015. http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2985059/warmer_winters_boost_europes_wild_boar.html
Wild boar populations are surging due to an increasingly abundant food supply. Scientists say an overabundant supply of acorns and beechnuts is fueled by milder winters, caused by climate change. In past times, many yearling boars did not survive cold winters, but this is no longer the case. This expansion is also due to the boars’ strong reproductive capacity. The animal’s habitat is expanding to countries where they were previously thought to be extinct.
This article relates to environmental science because the boars’ rising population described by the article exemplifies the complex chain of ecological effects. Climate change, species characteristics, and even cultural factors such as farmers attempting to capture and domesticate the animals on their lands are environmental science factors. The surging boar population monopolizes the supply of nutrients and other resources necessary to the survival of other species, disrupting the historical balance in the European region.
This is a perfect article for your topic. How interesting- especially considering it’s a wild population (they’re all invasive over here… and a huge problem in places). I have a feeling it’s just the beginning of the biodiversity shift that we will continue to see as the climate changes. Can you imagine if these boars come back to places that had lost them… they can be fierce.
It’s so interesting that what is often considered a “good thing”– a species thriving– can be a bad thing in an ecosystem accustomed to a limited number of that species. It would be fascinating to witness a big change in biodiversity in Europe as a result of the flourishing of the wild boar population– what do you think this would mean for the European people?
Thank you both for your comments, Mr. Powell and Molly. I was surprised too when I learned about the soaring population having a negative effect on the surrounding environment. I think that this issue may cause a safety hazard for Europeans since these boars could be considered deadly.