Comparison of Damage from Wild Pigs Sus scrofa in Northeast Texas Using UAV Imaging
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences
Date of Award
Spring 2023
Abstract
Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) cause extensive damage throughout their quickly expanding range. The purpose of this study is to analyze any differences in damage caused by wild pigs in three land-use types: rangeland, cropland, and natural areas, and to determine relationships between land composition and damage. Data on land composition was collected using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography at three different altitudes, analyzed with supervised classification and compared to ground truthing data. Sites containing high amounts of damage tended to have a higher amount of low cover present, while land use did not appear to have an impact on pig activity. Images taken at different altitudes had no significant difference in type 1 error rates or kappa values compared to ground truthing data. Images taken at the lowest altitude did show a significantly lower type 2 error rate compared to images taken at the highest altitude. This information can be used to develop land and wildlife management techniques to reduce destruction from wild pigs. Future research on the effectiveness of wild pig deterrents, and the importance of land cover to behavior could be conducted using the same areas and methods.
Advisor
Johanna Delgado-Acevedo
Subject Categories
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Life Sciences
Recommended Citation
Swerdfeger, Matthew, "Comparison of Damage from Wild Pigs Sus scrofa in Northeast Texas Using UAV Imaging" (2023). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 1093.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/etd/1093
