New models for wild ungulates occurrence and hunting yield abundance at European scale

• DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2022.en-7631
• Publication Date: 2022-10-14T09:04:13Z
• Authors: Sonia Illanas; Simon Croft; Graham C. Smith; Sergio López‐Padilla; Joaquín Vicente; José Antonio Blan...; Massimo Scandura; Marco Apollonio; Ezio Ferroglio; Stefania Zanet; Rachele Vada; Oliver Keuling; Kamila Plis; Tomasz Podgorski; Francesca Brivio; Javier Fernández‐...; Carmen Ruiz‐Rodrí...; Ramón C. Soriguer; Pelayo Acevedo
• Keywords: Transferability; Species distribution

The goal of this report is i) to model the occurrence and hunting yield (HY) density wild ungulates not only for widely distributed species in Europe, but also those ones which have a constrained distribution ii) compare output with observed HY. Random Forest function was used modelling species. We data available from past 30 years, HY (period 2015-2020) records collected by ENETWILD. Like previous models based on HY, response variable maximum number ruminants annually hunted 2015-2020 seasons divided area (km2) corresponding administrative unit (HY density). Models were statistically downscaled make predictions 10x10km squares. Occurrence indicated good predictive performance most species, showing that framework proposed improved results comparison models. transferability into new regions limited exposure environmental conditions. As models, calibration plots showed linear as well Overall, our consistent expected abundance removal zeros validation datasets affected all regions, better when removed opposite evidenced distributions. conclude (i) importance co-correlation variables inferenced random forest results, (ii) manipulation presence absence locations could further improvement outputs, (iii) projections displayed patterns three frameworks approximation although it should be explored how improve patchy.