Wild Boar - Good for environment?

 Environmental Benefits of Wild Boar in California

Let's face it: Wild pigs all over the world have a bad reputation not only for being mean but also for the considerable damage they can afflict on protected cash crops and the land in general. After all, even a small herd of wild pigs can root up entire crop fields in one night and plow grasslands and hillsides in search of roots and tubers. Small mud holes become huge pig wallows and well watered fields new mud holes.

Yet in the Californian oak lands, there is a beneficial side to all this rooting in the Oak lands that ring the Central Valley. Careful observation of grassy areas rooted up by wild pigs shows that native perennial grasses are coming back very fast after rooting by wild boar. This very rapid regrowth of the perennials suppresses annual grasses. The Spanish Missions in California introduced many of the annual grasses, flowers and brushes around their Missions. From there, the annuals invaded the grasslands in the Oak lands around the Central Valley suppressing native perennial species and gradually replacing them.

Rooting wild pigs dig up the annuals. Now, fast growing perennial native grasses, flowers, shrubs and brushes can reclaim their place in the grasslands and brush belts. And they do so quickly and decisively. Bunch grass comes back, native flowers, shrubs and brushes flourish and acorns grow very, very fast.

This positive effect of wild boar on the environment of Oak lands in California may not apply to all environments and to all parts of California. But where it does, it is an important and good reason to keep wild pigs. True, the boar can devastate crop fields in one short night; true, they can cause severe damage to hillsides, trails even to the fences of farmers protecting their fields. True, they can cost farmers money for protecting their high yield cash crops.

Yet, their activities favor native plants and help restore original balances in their habitats. Countless other species of animals and plants reap the benefits of these activities.

Moreover, wild boar also bring a lot of money into the coffers of the State and the local economy of cities in the pig belt of California. Where does that money come from? From hunters like you! Let us not forget that in our conversations with opponents of hunting and foes of wild pigs.



About the author:

The author of this article, an accomplished big game hunter, authored a best-selling book on wild boar hunting in California as well as many other hunting and outdoor related publications. For more information see http://wildboarbook.com

 Peter Jaeckle

More Articles 

The "Environmentally Friendly" Lawn - News Canada
Organic or conventional fertilizer? (NC)-A well-maintained lawn acts like a giant air filter, constantly removing pollutants and carbon dioxide, and replenishing the oxygen supply. A lawn is a valuable addition to every home ...

A Few Of The Effects Of Population Growth On The Environment - Gabriel Adams
The population of the world is slowly increasing. As this happens, we need to take great caution in making sure we don’t harm the environment. If we don’t be careful then it could lead to disastrous effects for us and nature. As cities grow larger...

Design Engineers in the ETO Environment - Roger Meloy
According to Roger Meloy of ETO ERP leader Encompix, based in Cincinnati, OH, “If you ask design engineers what an ERP system means to them, you are likely to hear something like “nothing” or “more work.” To most design engineers, an ERP system is...

Five Instant Ways to Reduce Environmental Stress - Part 2 - Ed Sykes
It’s time for part two of the series to reduce environmental stress in your life. In Five Ways to Reduce Environmental Stress - Part One, I shared with you five ways you can immediately reduce stress by controlling your environment. Now I will...

Lead Toxicity: Low-Level Environmental Exposure - Nachman Brautbar
"Introduction Lead poisoning is as ancient as Roman history, and indeed lead has been used extensively by the Romans and described by the Romans. The purpose of the manuscript is not to discuss classic lead toxicity and lead poisoning effects, but...

Environmental Protection Vision And Confusion - Ian Dennis
Many environmental protection lawsuits turn on the question of who has standing; are the legal issues limited to property owners, or does the general public have a right to intervene? Environmental protection law is a body of law, which is a...

Environment - Anxiety & Panic - Joanne King
Can the environment that surrounds you agitate and prolong your wellness? The answer is definitely YES! If you’re living in stressful, negative and or cluttered conditions you can expect this to take a toll on you and how you feel on the inside...

How to Share Important Documents in a Spam-Free Environment - Laura Schweiker
An extranet is a web-based tool that provides a secure environment for the organization and exchange of documents and information among a defined group of users. Extranets are often used to support team collaboration in...

The Ecology of Environmentalism - Sam Vaknin
The concept of "nature" is a romantic invention. It was spun by the likes of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century as a confabulated utopian contrast to the dystopia of urbanization and materialism. The traces of this dewy-eyed conception of...

Make Your Environmental Resume Fed Ready Now - John Esson
Make Your Federal Resume Fed Ready Now Uncle Sam is fussy about your paperwork Environmental Career Center Hampton, Virginia Want a great job with a good salary, security, nice benefits, and promotion opportunities in natural resources...

RenewableEnergyStocks.com Announces Non-Profit Featured Company Marion Institute as Host of Environmental Conference – “Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change” - Dawn Van Zant
RenewableEnergyStocks.com Announces Non-Profit Featured Company Marion Institute as Host of Environmental Conference – “Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change” Internationally Acclaimed Gathering of Scientific and Social Innovators ...

Be A Leader - Use Environmentally Friendly Products in Your Cleaning Business - Steve Hanson
Many building service contractors are aware that green cleaning is a hot topic these days due to health and safety concerns by building owners and managers. We see increasing amounts of recycling bins in the buildings we clean, which is a sign...