Multi-scale analysis of spatial drivers in wild boar space use at a biweekly scale across landscape patterns and step selection.

backgroundWild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have rapidly expanded across Europe, leading to increased agricultural damage and elevated risks of infectious disease transmission. Understanding how environmental conditions, population density and human activities shape movement across spatial scales is essential for effective management and disease control, particularly because the temporal windows when animals are infectious but asymptomatic align closely with the short-term movement dynamics relevant to transmission processes.

methodsWe analysed GPS tracking data from 99 adult wild boar (16 males, 83 females) in Sweden (2004-2021) to quantify movement at two complementary scales. Biweekly (14-day) space use was estimated using autocorrelated kernel density estimation (AKDE; 95% utilisation distributions) and modelled using a spatial Durbin model to account for both local and neighbouring landscape effects. To identify the behavioural mechanisms underlying these patterns, we applied integrated Step Selection Analysis (iSSA), comparing observed and available movement steps within a conditional logistic regression framework. Key predictors included land cover composition, wild boar density, hunting dog-allowed season, and sex.

resultsBiweekly space use decreased with increasing wild boar density and with higher proportions of forest and open land, indicating spatial contraction in resource-rich or high-density environments. Arable land had no clear local effect but reduced space use through neighbouring areas, highlighting the importance of landscape context. The Durbin model revealed significant spatial dependence, demonstrating that neighbouring conditions contribute to shaping local space use. At the movement scale, iSSA showed that higher density and hunting conditions were associated with reduced step lengths and altered movement behaviour, while individuals consistently selected forest cover over more open habitats. Males exhibited higher movement rates and larger space use than females. Importantly, the reduction in space use observed at the biweekly scale was consistent with density- and disturbance-driven changes in movement behaviour, indicating that spatial contraction emerges from local movement decisions.

conclusionsBy integrating the Durbin model and iSSA, this study links fine-scale movement behaviour to broader patterns of space use. Wild boar adjust their movement and space use in response to density, habitat conditions, and anthropogenic disturbance, with neighbouring landscape conditions contributing to these dynamics. The use of a biweekly temporal scale captures immediate behavioural adjustments within established ranges, providing a relevant framework for understanding temporal shifts in space use and optimising localised wildlife control. This multi-scale approach improves inference on wildlife movement processes and supports spatially targeted management strategies.