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This study evaluated the trend and spatial distribution of wild boar population harvested in the Alpine hunting district C.A. CN1 (Piedmont, Italy) from 1996 to 2018, and its relation with hunting effort. Protected areas were found to shape the distribution of the harvested wild boars, which decreased in number as the distance from those zones increased. The hunting bag data presented large yearly fluctuation, with a trend in line with the hunting effort until 2007 when the maximum capacity of the population to cope with the hunting pressure was reached. The variation of reproductive parameters (percentage of piglets in the hunted population and piglets to sexually matured female ratio) showed a decreasing trend in both time series. Conversely, hunting effort increased over the years, with significant trend changes in 2000 and 2015, probably associated with the increased preference for hunting activity on wild boars, and the parallel reduction of the extension of hunting areas. Predation, hunting activity, and environment could have modulated the wild boar population dynamics in the study area. Decrease in chestnut Castanea sativa production, due to the gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu, were reported during the period of study. This might be the main factor determining the downtrend of piglets in 2003. In addition, predation by wolves Canis lupus, whose population has sharply increased in the southwestern Alps in the last decades, might have contributed to the decline since 2010. This work outlines the importance of a proper management of protected areas, which influence the density and distribution of wild boars. In this context, hunting bags analysis is of pivotal importance to monitor population dynamics and develop proper wildlife policies.

The Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) has become invasive in Central and Northern Italy, where it affects prey-predator dynamics between native species. Although many different studies explored survival rates and the density of cottontails in North America, no information is available for its invasive range. Between December 2003 and October 2005, a capture-recapture scheme for Eastern cottontails was enforced on the Orba River, Italy. We fitted an open-population Cormack-Jolly-Seber model to estimate survival of adult individuals (n=258) and their density in the study area. Adult cottontails showed a constant survival (phi = 0.84 ± 0.02) across the various sessions, as well as between individuals of different sexes. Capture probabilities and densities varied seasonally, with densities ranging between 2.06 ± 1.24 and 8.00 ± 4.60 cottontails/hectare, with an average of 4.72 individuals/hectare. Eastern cottontails are characterized by high survival and high densities, in their invaded range in Italy. Although densities are comparable to those reported in North America, our analysis focused on adult cottontails only and overall densities are certainly higher. Moreover, our estimates, obtained through a capture-recapture approach, were higher than those reported in previous studies from Italy that adopted nocturnal spotlight censuses. Spotlight transects are likely to underestimate cottontail densities, due to nocturnal habitat selection of cottontails, which might decrease their detectability., The Ms contains supplementary information, in terms of reproducible code and dataset, {"references":["Balestrieri A., Remonti L., Prigioni C., 2006. Local feeding specialization of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in response to eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) introduction (NW Italy). Hystrix 16: 113-126.","Barbar F., Lambertucci S. A., 2018. 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The feeding ecology of the long-eared owl (Asio otus) in the Stupinigi Natural Park, northwestern Italy, was investigated for 1 year. Owls fed seasonally on three main prey categories. Mice (Murina...

The niche of introduced species and that of native ones may overlap, thus causing detrimental effects on the latter through competitive interactions. We used radio telemetry to investigate habitat partitioning during the active period by the introduced American eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) and the native European hare (Lepus europaeus) in sympatric conditions. Home ranges of cottontails varied from 1.1–2.2 ha in autumn to 3.0–3.6 ha in summer. In hares, home ranges were 30.5–33.8 ha in summer and increased to 49.5–85.9 ha in winter. Both species used an overall area composed of about 27% of natural habitats (i.e., meadows, woodlands, shrubby habitats, shores, and uncultivated land) and over 70% of field crops. The coexistence of the two species appeared to be facilitated by habitat partitioning. Habitat use of cottontails was characterized by a preference for natural habitats at the study area level as well as within the home ranges, while hares showed a preference for crop fields at both spatial scales and a seasonal selection of meadows within home ranges. Habitat overlap measured with the Pianka index was 0.57–0.64 in autumn and winter, and increased in summer and spring to 0.73–0.78. Our results provide evidence of different resource selection strategies adopted by these two sympatric lagomorph species. Hare populations are often found in agricultural landscapes at low-densities, while cottontails are currently spreading throughout Northern Italy to such an extent that an eradication programme appears unfeasible. In this situation, conservation measures for hares and other species should also take into consideration the presence or possible arrival of cottontails. Habitat restoration measures that would increase the amount of fallow lands and shrublands may favour cottontails more than hares. In areas where introduced lagomorphs are present, the necessity of natural open landscapes for hares may be better faced by increasing the presence of meadows, that are seasonally used by hares and not by cottontails.

We used radiotelemetry to investigate resting sites habitat selection by introduced eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) and native European hare (Lepus europaeus) under sympatric conditions. We tracked 24 hares and 34 cottontails in a protected area of northwestern Italy. Hares were found in different sites every week, while cottontails used the same site for two weeks, and occasionally for longer. It is supposed that this periodic nest switching reduces the risk of predation and parasitism. Hares and cottontails forms were located in different habitats and characterized by dense vegetation cover near the ground. This cover increased from winter to summer in both species, while in autumn it continued to increase in cottontails only, and decreased in hares. Cottontails selected shrubby habitats near the river, and avoided crop fields in all seasons. Hares were more adaptive in their search, using high herbs and shrubs all year round, wheat fields in spring, maize in spring and summer, and stubbles in winter. Arguably, partial niche differentiation is necessary to allow the coexistence of similar species. In our study area, hares and cottontails differentiated in the use of resting sites habitats, presumably so as not to compete in this part of their ecological niche.

Introduced coypu (Myocastor coypus) damage crops and natural vegetation and undermine riverbanks. We controlled coypu with cage traps to protect vegetation in 3 wetlands in the Park of the Rivers Po and Orba (northwestern Italy). During a 3-year trial, coypu were controlled in the Natural Reserve of Valenza (NRV), an area with a low degree of colonization, but not in one with a high immigration rate. In NRV park wardens were involved for 18 man-days of work annually, and the cost was 1,518 Euros (1,867 U.S. dollars) per year. From 2001 a control program was carried on in the 3 areas. Removal densities (0.06–1.3 animal/ha) suggested that 2 trapping periods annually were adequate to slow down coypu population increase. The recovery of yellow waterlily (Nuphar lutea) in 3 plots and colonization of new ponds by vegetation indicated that coypu were maintained at a level sustainable for vegetation development.