Rangeland Ecology & Management

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EXPANSION OF FERAL SWINE IN THE UNITED STATES
Author
Corn, Joseph L.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2014
Body

The Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) began producing nationwide feral swine distribution maps in 1982 by working directly with state and territorial natural resources agencies.  In 1982, 17 states reported feral swine; by 2004, 28 states were reporting feral swine.  In 2008, SCWDS, in collaboration with CRMS, developed and implemented the National Feral Swine Mapping System (NFSMS).  The NFSMS is an internet-based data collection system used to collect and display current data on the distribution of feral swine in the United States.  These distribution maps are produced using data collected from state and territorial natural resources agencies, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, and other state/federal wildlife and agriculture agencies.  The map is available to be viewed by the public on the NFSMS home page.  Distribution data submitted by agency personnel are evaluated by SCWDS on a continual basis, and the distribution map is updated with verified additions on a monthly basis.  Feral swine populations and/or sightings are designated either as established breeding populations, or as sightings, but only established breeding populations are included on the map and in the total of the number of states with feral swine.  Over 600 additions have been made to the national distribution map through the NFSMS since January 2008.  The NFSMS is accessed via the internet at http://www.feralswinemap.org/.  Although the distribution of feral swine continues to increase in the United States, the number of states reporting established populations dropped from 37 in 2011 to 36 in 2013 as feral swine were eradicated from Nebraska.  Expansion of feral swine is due to several factors including intentional release of feral swine into new areas, escape of penned feral swine, and natural expansion of extant populations.  Implications of expansion include risk of disease transmission and damage to natural areas and agriculture.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Orlando, FL