Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Anthropology

Major Professor

Dillon D. Mahoney, Ph.D.

Committee Member

E. Christian Wells, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Rebecca Zarger, Ph.D.

Keywords

Feral, Management, Novel Ecosystems, Pigs

Abstract

The Anthropocene presents important questions for how to address the continuous transferal of new species into new spaces and the cascading impacts of environmental transformations. Novel ecosystems present one such outline for conservation that acknowledges the modification of historic ecosystems and the social entanglements that arrive with new species. I argue that novel ecosystems can benefit from further anthropological integrations that aid in describing the entanglements of introduced species and the pursuit of best managerial outcomes. For wild swine in Florida, the adoption of a novel approach is especially relevant because of entanglements with historic and modern Floridian stakeholders and the near impossibility of removing wild swine from the landscape.

This project explored perceptions of and interactions with wild swine among three distinct stakeholder groups: 1) environmental professionals, 2) landowners, and 3) hunters in western central Florida. Through extensive interviews with 35 individuals, this study found that stakeholders do not share a unified perception of wild swine as an unnatural or otherwise problematic species. I found that stakeholder valuations of wild swine and swine management policy were informed by cultural heritage, individual beliefs about wild swine, the uneven benefits of management, stakeholder backgrounds, and prior experiences with swine. Stakeholder desires for future management policies include additional funding for conservation, more opportunities for public/managerial collaboration, and policies that are built in consideration of heritage and the entanglements that wild swine have with the public.

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