Evelina Augustsson

I am a PhD student at Grimsö Wildlife Research Station studying the effects of artificial winter feeding of wild ungulates, particularly wild boar. The PhD project aims to experimentally identify factorsaffecting habitat choice in wild boar, roe deer and fallow deer in relation to artificial feeding.

Wild boar is one of the most controversial ungulate species in terms of potential negative effects on crop production and biodiversity. As a result, artificial feeding has become a popular management tool in Sweden and for a growing number of species. Feeding is normally intended to displace animals away from sensitive areas, and maintain or increase population size. Unfortunately, there are few studies that quantify these intended effects. I will use GPS-collared animals to identify spatial factors affecting habitat choice in wild boar, roe deer and fallow deer in relation to artificial feeding as well as the effect of feeding on female reproduction. The project will also investigate the indirect effects of feeding sites on the local plant and animal communities.