Rooting by feral swine (Sus scrofa) damages pastures, crops, and native vegetation; however, time needed for plant communities to recover after rooting is unknown. We compared plant species composition in pastures rooted by feral swine to undisturbed areas of pastures over twelve months. We observed plant community responses in two types of pasture in south Florida rangelands, improved and semi-native. Improved pasture consisted of planted Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), and semi-native pasture was a mixture of native grasses, wetland plants, and planted forage ( Andropogon virginicus, Andropogon virginicus glaucus). 216 permanent Daubenmire plots established along 18 transects in 4 pastures of both types were assessed monthly for changes in plant species composition in paired sites with and without rooting. Preliminary results suggest reduced palatable forage in rooted patches compared to undisturbed patches, and an increase in unpalatable forage (Carolina redroot, (Lachnanthes caroliana) in semi-native pastures. In semi-native pastures, forage grasses remained <5% of coverage in rooted sites (March to June), but increased from 29% ± 28% (A. virginicus glaucus) and 36% ± 29% (A. virginicus) to 48%±23% in unrooted areas during the same time period. Carolina redroot increased from 4%±4% coverage in rooted patches (March) to 46%±22% (June) in rooted areas, but did not increase in undisturbed areas . In improved pastures, Bahia grass covered 6 ± 6%  of sampled areas in rooted sites (April) compared to 19 ± 11%  (August). Bahia grass made up 61 ± 28% of improved pasture in unrooted areas (April), and increased to 84%±20% (August). Unpalatable forage dominates areas rooted by swine in semi-native pastures, and there is a decline in overall forage in improved pastures. We will determine the amount of forage lost per meter square area in rooted areas to estimate monetary losses of forage grasses to swine damage in South Florida.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.