Long‐term patterns in Iberian hare population dynamics in a protected area (Doñana National Park) in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula: Effects of weather conditions and plant cover

Abstract

The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) is a widely distributed endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula. To improve our knowledge of its population dynamics, the relative abundance and population trends of the Iberian hare were studied in the autumns of 1995-2012 in a protected area (Doñana National Park) by spotlighting in 2 different habitats: marshland and ecotones. The average relative abundance was 0.38 hare/km (SD = 0.63) in the marshland and 3.6 hares/km (SD = 4.09) in ecotones. The Iberian hare population exhibited local interannual fluctuations and a negative population trend during the study period (1995-2012). The results suggest that its populations are in decline. The flooding of parts of the marshland in June, July and October favor hare abundance in the ecotone. Hare abundance in the marshland increases as the flooded surface area increases in October. These effects are more pronounced if the rains are early (October) and partially flood the marsh. By contrast, when marsh grasses and graminoids are very high and thick (as measured using the aerial herbaceous biomass [biomass marshland] as a proxy), the abundance of hares decreases dramatically as does the area of the marsh that is flooded (in November).

Spatio-temporal trends in the frequency of interspecific interactions between domestic and wild ungulates from Mediterranean Spain

“…and grasses grow. This area contains a great diversity and abundance of plant and herbivore species [20,35].…”

Monitoring of emerging myxoma virus epidemics in Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis) in Spain, 2018–2020

“…The Iberian hare is also among the main small game species, with about 930,000 animals harvested annually in Spain (MAPA, 2020). Although the information about the population densities of Iberian hares in Spain is limited, in some regions their densities have remained stable at local sites, whereas in others, there has been a decreasing trend in population size in recent decades (Ballesteros, Benito, & González‐Quirós, 1996; Carro & Soriguer, 2017). Conservation of the Iberian hare is threatened by different natural and anthropogenic factors, including predators and hunting pressure, fragmentation and loss of habitat, use of herbicides and pesticides, weather conditions, roadkill and disease (Duarte, 2000; García‐Bocanegra et al., 2019; Sánchez‐García et al., 2012).…”

The Health and Future of the Six Hare Species in Europe: A Closer Look at the Iberian Hare

“…Although there is no hare population census-supported data from Portugal, the trends from the National Gamebag Census indicate a reduction in the Iberian hare populations in the recent decades that has accompanied the decline in the wild rabbit populations [33]. This decrease resulted from the combined and cumulative effect of several environmental factors that simultaneously affected the wild rabbit and the Iberian hare, along with the emergence of infectious diseases, namely, myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD).…”

“…Taenia pisiformis is known to cause a typical parasitosis of lagomorphs known as cysticercosis [33,71]. The larval stage of this parasitic cestode is found particularly in rabbits and hares, having been described in the European brown hare [61] and in the Iberian hare [72].…”