Wild pigs can have a devastating impact on Ag and threaten others species of concern to conservationists. But what about their impact on global biodiversity, particularly islands and species that receive less global conservation attention, such as plants, reptiles and amphibians?
“Wild pigs are unique among other species since they are herbivores, top predators, and ecosystem engineers, modifying ecosystems by digging and rooting,” says Derek Risch, a recent grad from the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
He adds, “We found that in addition to the over 300 plant species threatened by wild pigs globally, wild pigs actively predate and destroy critical nesting sites for hundreds of threatened and endangered reptiles, amphibians and birds.”
Read the UH News story.