Acorn production cycles influence wild boar populations

Acorn production cycles have a greater impact on wild boar populations than originally thought. Alternating years of high and low production have a positive effect on wild boar population growth. Philippe MASSIT / Office français de la biodiversité - According to a study published in The American Naturalist on 6 January 2022, sequences of environmental events over time influence population dynamics in wild species. A research team led by Marlène Gamelon, a researcher at the CNRS 1 , has studied the influence of sequences of oak mast seeding events over the years on a population of wild boars 2 , which are major consumers of acorns. Researchers simulated several acorn production cycles and focused their attention on two extreme scenarios: one consisting of alternating years of low and high acorn production, and a second where production is similar from year to year. The team observed that the first scenario, consisting of alternating years of low and high production, appears to contribute to an increase in wild boar populations. In this case, biennial episodes of acorn production coincide with the generation time of wild boar - the average reproductive age of mothers in this population (i.e., two years).