Use of firebreaks and artificial supply points by wild ungulates: Effects on fuel load and woody vegetation along a distance gradient

Velamazán, Mario; Miguel, Alfonso San; Escribano, R.; Perea, Ramón

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2018.05.061

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…This is in agreement with other results in which it was observed that firebreak areas have herbaceous covers of higher quality and abundance for feral ungulates and extensive livestock, compared with woody formations [18,34]. For many ungulates, modified linear areas such as firebreaks and roads act as attractants, either because of their current biodiversity, the quantity or quality of existing food, or because they are corridors for movement [13,18,38]. In the case of goats, it should be added that, being prey animals, they usually prefer open spaces where they have a wide visual field to monitor possible predators [39].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…On the other hand, this grass constitutes the fine fuel for the initiation of many forest fires [48], so its reduction must be considered a success in the management of feral goats. From the results obtained, it also follows that the use of supplementary attractants, such as water and salt, increase the clearing effect of animals within a discrete radius of the supply point, in the order of tens of meters in this case, a distance similar to that obtained in other studies [13,49].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…One action in the prevention of forest fires is the opening of firebreak areas, which, in practice, involves clearing or cutting forest strips to contain the spread of fire [4]. The maintenance of these strips can be carried out by grazing, thus reducing the costs of mechanical clearing [13,14]. This practice constitutes a good example of the multifunctionality of the livestock sector and allows the local population to be involved in fire prevention [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parallel to the decrease in the livestock herd, an increase has been observed in the populations of feral herbivores and unmanaged feral livestock, with the highest densities for many decades being recorded [13]. These populations have also started to be perceived as possible tools in the prevention of forest fires, while guaranteeing the conservation of biodiversity [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These populations have also started to be perceived as possible tools in the prevention of forest fires, while guaranteeing the conservation of biodiversity [18]. Along these same lines, some authors have shown that it is possible to influence the behavior of wild herbivores through the use of attractants, such as water, food, or salt [13,19,20], thus causing changes in the structure and composition of the vegetation. However, the use of attractants for wild animals, even for a management purpose, could have an impact on their behavior and population dynamics [20], and if this were the case, it could be perceived by conservation sectors as an interference in ecological processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Feral Goats in Maintaining Firebreaks by Using Attractants

et al. 2020

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The threat of large forest fires is increasing, and the main causes are the depopulation of rural areas, along with the effects of climate change. To counter this threat in recent decades, there have been numerous proposals and actions aimed at promoting grazing in the forest as a tool for controlling biomass fuel. However, the continued disappearance of traditional herds makes this activity difficult. Rural depopulation has also meant that domestic species become feral, being habitual in the case of goats. Currently, little is known about the role that feral goats can play in the fight against forest fires. In this work, an analysis is made on the effect of feral goats on the control of the vegetation in firebreak areas. Furthermore, the effect of attractants, such as water, salt, or food, on goat behavior is also studied. The study was carried out on the island of Mallorca, where a population of feral goats occupies the mountain areas, and where it is common for them to graze on the network of firebreaks. The results showed that these areas in themselves exert an attractive effect with respect to the neighboring forest, and that the herbaceous biomass is reduced. This effect was enhanced with the implementation of water and salt points, although only in certain periods of the year. In general, it was possible to reduce the phytovolume of many species without affecting biodiversity in the short or medium term. Therefore, strategic management of feral animals, aimed at firebreak areas, could contribute not only to reducing the risk of fires and, consequently, to the mitigation of climate change, but also to attracting these animals to the forests, thus avoiding their dispersion to conflictive places such as roads, residences, agricultural fields, and gardens.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Feral Goats in Maintaining Firebreaks by Using Attractants

et al. 2020

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The role of large mammalian herbivores in shaping and maintaining soil microbial communities of natural mineral licks: A case study on sika deer at the firebreak adjacent to the Sino‐Russian border

Wen,

Wu,

Bao

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Mineral licks are indispensable habitats to the life history of large mammal herbivores (LMH). Geophagy at licks may provide the necessary minerals for LMH, while LMH may be ecosystem engineers of licks by altering vegetation cover and soil physicochemical properties (SPCP). However, the precise relationship between the LMH and licks remains unclear. To clarify the geophagy function of licks for LMH and their influence on soil at licks, we recorded visitation patterns of sika deer around licks and compared SPCP and microbial communities with the surrounding matrix in a firebreak adjacent to the Sino‐Russian border. Our study indirectly supports the “sodium supplementation” hypothesis. Proofs included (1) a significantly higher sodium, iron, and aluminum contents than the matrix, while lower carbon, nitrogen, and moisture contents; (2) significantly higher deer visitation during sodium‐demand season (growing season), along with an avoidance of licks with high iron contents, which is toxic when overdose. The microbes at the licks differed from those at the matrix, mainly driven by low soil carbon and nitrogen and altered biogeochemical cycles. The microbial communities of licks are vulnerable because of their unstable state and susceptibility to SPCP changes. Structural equation modeling (SEM) clearly showed a much stronger indirect effect of deer on microbes at licks than at the matrix, especially for bacteria. Multiple deer behaviors at licks, such as grazing, trampling, and excretion, can indirectly shape and stabilize microbes by altering carbon and nitrogen input. Our study is the first to characterize soil microbial communities at mineral licks and demonstrate the processes by which LMH shapes those communities. More studies are required to establish a general relationship between the LMH and licks to promote the conservation of natural licks for wildlife.

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