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Can habitat type predict the abundance of the European rabbits on oceanic islands?

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Abstract

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a key prey species in Mediterranean ecosystems. However, it is also considered a pest on many oceanic islands, even though its true abundance and ecological effects on different island habitats are poorly understood. We present data on rabbit abundance for the best-preserved habitats of the Canary Islands, Spain (National Parks), including ecosystems differing in climate, topography, plant species richness and composition. Three methods of assessing rabbit abundance from faecal pellet density are compared to ascertain the best method to compare highly distinct habitats. The Cleaning method was used during spring, summer, autumn and winter to check whether there were differences in pellet degradation among habitats that could prevent comparisons between them. Rabbit abundance is determined by complex interactions among abiotic and biotic factor. Despite differences in climate conditions, the results obtained for rabbit density with fast methods correlated well with the slow Cleaning method. The Circular method was the most useful to work with for extensive sampling in different habitats. The best models for explaining rabbit density for all habitat types combined included tree cover, abiotic and topographic and climatic variables. Thus, factors influencing rabbit density vary depending on habitat type with Macaronesian laurel forests being the ecosystem least likely to be invaded by rabbits. The present study highlights that rabbits reach damaging densities for plant conservation in most areas on the Canary Islands.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Julio Leal Pérez, Raquel Hernández-Hernández and Jesús Parada Díaz for their great help in obtaining data in the field. In addition, we thank Ángel Palomares Martínez (Caldera de Taburiente N.P.), Ángel Fernández López (Garajonay N.P.), José Luís Martín Esquivel (El Teide N.P.) and Luís Pascual González (Timanfaya N.P.) for their help during this work and providing us with all kinds of facilities for the development of this study. Moreover, we thank TRAGSATEC for helping during this work in Caldera de Taburiente N.P. We also thank the ‘Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica’ (REF 1621/2015) for financial support. Jonay Cubas has received a PhD scholarship from La Laguna University. We also thank Clive Tyrell for the English revision of original manuscript.

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  1. Plant Conservation and Biogeography Research Group, Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Francisco Sánchez s/n, Apdo. 456, 38200, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain

    Jonay Cubas, Víctor Bello-Rodríguez, Marcelino J. del Arco & Juana María González-Mancebo

  2. Faculty of Geography, Philipps University Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 10, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    Jürgen Kluge

  3. Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Brian Cooke

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  1. Jonay Cubas
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J.M.G.M. designed the study; all authors collected the data; J.C. and J.K. analysed the data; J.C., J.K, B.C. and J.M.G.M. lead the writing with all co-authors contributing. All authors gave final approval for publication.

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Cubas, J., Kluge, J., Bello-Rodríguez, V. et al. Can habitat type predict the abundance of the European rabbits on oceanic islands?. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 22, 93–105 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-021-00039-6

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