Studies on the European hare. 54. Relationship between density of brown hare Lepus europaeus and landscape structure in Poland in the years 1981-1995

Panek, Marek; Kamieniarz, Robert

doi:10.4098/at.arch.99-7

Cited by 67 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In line with this, several studies have indicated that the positive effects of farming for European hares decreased as field size increased and habitat diversity decreased (Schröpfer and Nyenhuis 1982;Tapper and Barnes 1986;Lewandowski and Nowakowski 1993;Panek and Kamieniarz 1999;Vaughan et al 2003;Jennings et al 2006). Habitat diver- (Marboutin and Aebischer 1996) is restricted: The alternative feeding sites for hares in summer might be far away and could act as hot spots for numerous other hares facing the same fate, resulting in potential risks of social stress (Lindlöf 1978;Monaghan and Metcalfe 1985), disease transmission and malnutrition (Tapper and Barnes 1986;Onderscheka 1996).…”

Section: Conclusion For Habitat Managementmentioning

confidence: 83%

Diet selection by hares (Lepus europaeus) in arable land and its implications for habitat management

2006

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Populations of European hares (Lepus europaeus) have experienced a dramatic decline throughout Europe in recent decades. European hares are assumed to prefer weeds over arable crops, and weed abundance was reduced by the intensification of agriculture. Therefore, modern agriculture has been blamed as a major factor affecting European hare populations. However, it is questionable whether European hares select weeds at all, as previous studies had major methodological limitations. By comparing availability and use of plants with Chesson's Electivity Index, we investigated whether the European hare actually feeds selectively on different plants in arable land. Food availability and use were dominated by cultivated crops (e.g. winter wheat, spring barley and sugar beet). Diet selection analysis revealed that in autumn and winter, European hares predominantly preferred cultivated crops (winter wheat) and food items provided by hunters (tubers of sugar beet and carrot). In spring and summer, apart from soy, only weeds (e.g. clover and corn poppy) were positively selected, especially after cereal crops were harvested. We suggest that the decline in European hare populations throughout Europe was facilitated by the decrease in weed abundance. Wildlife-friendly set-asides in arable land have the potential to reconcile the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy with wildlife conservation.

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Section: Conclusion For Habitat Managementmentioning

confidence: 83%

Diet selection by hares (Lepus europaeus) in arable land and its implications for habitat management

2006

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“…According to optimal foraging theory, animals select foods that maximize their net rate of energy gain [52,54]. When making foraging decisions, such as the selection of food patches, a vulnerable herbivore like the hare needs to evaluate not only the potential benefits (energy gains), but also the costs (elevated predation risk) of any action [52,[55][56][57]. The observed differences in the diet diversity indices among herbivores can be attributed to the dominance of shrubs and grasses in the diets of goats and hares respectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet overlap between small ruminants and the European hare in a Mediterranean shrubland

Karmiris

Nastis

2010

Open Life Sciences

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Seasonal diets of goats, sheep and European hares (Lepus europaeus) were examined using microhistological analysis of feces collected when these herbivores grazed together in a typical Mediterranean shrubland. Approximately half of the total diet content of goats was shrubs (mainly kermes oak, Quercus coccifera), while that of hares was grasses (mostly brush grass, Chrysopogon gryllus). Sheep had a more balanced diet consisting mainly of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Dietary overlap between goats and sheep was high throughout the year. In contrast, there was very low dietary overlap between small ruminants and hares. Dietary diversity was high in spring and low in winter across all species, with sheep in general displaying higher dietary diversity across all seasons than goats and hares. Goats had intermediate and hares had low dietary diversity across all seasons. Communal grazing by small ruminants and hares ensures that there is a more uniform use of the available forage resources than if a single herbivore is left to graze an area.

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“…They were less common on pastural farms. Panek and Kamieniarz (1999) found the density of the European brown hare in different landscape areas of Poland between 1981-1995 to be ranging from 0.07 to 5.18 ind/km 2 (hunting bag). Strauss and Pohlmeyer (2001) recorded the greatest abundancies with 24.8-27.6 hares/km 2 during years 1995-1999 in the county of Wesermarsch (Lower Saxony, Germany) which is quite comparable to our study.…”

Section: Distribution Of the European Brown Hare In Relation To Variomentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology of European Brown Hare and Distribution of Natural Foci of Tularaemia in the Czech Republic

Pikula¹,

Beklová²,

Holešovská³

et al. 2004

Acta Vet. Brno

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Quantitative data on the geographic distribution of the European brown hare in the Czech Republic were analysed using a geographic information system with respect to selected environmental factors and natural foci of tularaemia. The highest population densities of the European brown hare were found in geographic areas of up to 200 m of elevation above sea (231.47 individuals/10 km 2 ), climatic district No. 1 (227.91 individuals/10 km 2 ), annual snow cover duration of 40-60 days (183.95 individuals/10 km 2 ), mean annual precipitation of 450-700 mm (174.71 individuals/10 km 2 ), annual sunshine duration of 1801-2000 hour (169.72 individuals/10 km 2 ) and mean annual air temperature of over 10.0 °C (245.00 individuals / /10 km 2 ). A correlation (r = 0.443, n = 395, t = 9.797, p = 0.01) between the population density of the European brown hare and numbers of natural foci of tularaemia in the Czech Republic was found. In other words, tularaemia seems to be dependent on the population density of the European brown hare.

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Studies on the European hare. 54. Relationship between density of brown hare Lepus europaeus and landscape structure in Poland in the years 1981-1995

Cited by 67 publications

References 10 publications

Diet selection by hares (Lepus europaeus) in arable land and its implications for habitat management

Diet selection by hares (Lepus europaeus) in arable land and its implications for habitat management

Diet overlap between small ruminants and the European hare in a Mediterranean shrubland

Ecology of European Brown Hare and Distribution of Natural Foci of Tularaemia in the Czech Republic

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