The high abundance of wild ungulates in a Mediterranean region: is this compatible with the European rabbit?

Abstract

The landscape in southern Iberia has, over the last four decades, altered as a result of the land abandonment, while the abundance of wild boar Sus scrofa and red deer Cervus elaphus has simultaneously increased, and some key prey species such as the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus have declined. In this work we explore: 1) the relationships between big game species (red deer and wild boar) and rabbit abundance, and 2) whether these relationships could have effects on food quality (total nitrogen available in the pasture and percentage of leguminosae) and food availability of (herbaceous cover). We therefore selected nine big game estates with a range of abundance as regards ungulates and similar Mediterranean habitat. Wild boar abundance was statistically negative in relation to rabbit abundance, while no significant statistical relationships between rabbit abundance and habitat structure and forage quality were evidenced. However, wild boar abundance, but not that of red deer, was negatively associated with leguminosae cover, and the percentage of surface rooted by wild boar was negatively associated with the percentage of herbaceous cover. Overall, our results suggest that the abundance of wild boar is negatively related to that of rabbits, and could have a negative effects on rabbit abundances by food competition as a result of: 1) a decrease in herbaceous coverage and leguminosae in the pasture and 2) an increase in the total percentage of soil disturbed as a result of rooting.

Space–time trends in Spanish bird electrocution rates from alternative information sources

“…Red Deer Cervus elaphus; Soriguer, 1987) or directly prey on rabbits (such as the Wild Boar Sus scrofa; Cabezas-Díaz et al, 2010). Recently, it has been stated that high ungulate densities negatively affect Wild Rabbit population viability (Carpio et al, 2014).…”

Rewilding and the risk of creating new, unwanted ecological interactions

“…The encroachment of forests as a consequence of agricultural abandonment has resulted in a remarkable increase in ungulate numbers in Europe and North America (e.g., Acevedo et al 2011), which has affected negatively other species of herbivores through competition. For example, the increasing number of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Spain could have a negative effect on European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations (Cabezas-Díaz et al 2011;Carpio et al 2014), and as a consequence negatively affect the numerous Iberian rabbit predators (Lozano et al 2007). Likewise, grazing abandonment has favoured the invasion of the tall grass Brachypodium genuense in the central Apennines (Italy), reducing by competitive exclusion the availability of palatable plants for the Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata), whose numbers have dramatically declined in the area (Corazza et al 2016).…”

Guidance on estimation of wild boar population abundance and density: methods, challenges, possibilities

“…Its ecological plasticity and growing population generate human-ungulate conflicts (Putman et al 2011), as wild boar may cause significant damage to crops and natural vegetation (e.g. Carpio et al 2014, Oja et al 2017, road traffic (e.g. Carpio et al 2014, Oja et al 2017, road traffic (e.g.…”

“…Welander 1995, Schley et al 2008, Bueno et al 2009), biodiversity (e.g. Carpio et al 2014, Oja et al 2017), road traffic (e.g. Lagos et al 2012, Thurfjell et al 2015 and livestock and public health (e.g.…”