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Effectiveness of habitat management in the recovery of low-density populations of wild rabbit

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Abstract

Understanding the relationship between spatial patterns of landscape attributes and population presence and abundance is essential for understanding population processes as well as supporting management and conservation strategies. This study evaluates the influence of three factors: environment, habitat management, and season on the presence and abundance of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), an important prey species for Mediterranean endangered predator species. To address this issue, we estimated wild rabbit presence and abundance by latrine counting in transects located in 45 plots within a 250 × 250 m grid from June 2007 until June 2009 in a 1,200 ha hunting area in southern Portugal. We then analyzed how wild rabbit presence and abundance correlate with the aforementioned factors. Our results showed that the main variable influencing wild rabbit presence and abundance was the distance to the artificial warrens. North and northeast slope directions were negatively related to wild rabbit presence. Conversely, rabbit presence was positively correlated with short distances to ecotone, artificial warrens, and spring. Regarding rabbit abundance, in addition to artificial warrens, soft soils, bushes, and season also had a positive effect. We found that environmental variables, management practices, and season each affect wild rabbit presence and abundance differently at a home range scale in low-density population. Thus, our major recommendations are reducing the distance to artificial warrens and ecotone, ideally to less than 100 m, and promoting habitat quality improvement on slopes with plenty of sun exposure.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Electric National Grid (REN). We would like to thank the hunters from the Associação de Caçadores de Querença for their valuable assistance with fieldwork.

The authors are also thankful to EGSP - Energia e Sistemas de Potência, Lda.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Mediterranean Ecosystems and Landscapes Research Group (MEL), Departamento de Paisagem, Ambiente e Ordenamento, Universidade de Évora, Ap. 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal

    Sérgio Godinho, Rui Machado & Pedro Santos

  2. Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO-UE), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Évora, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal

    Frederico Mestre

  3. CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Joaquim P. Ferreira

Authors
  1. Sérgio Godinho
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  2. Frederico Mestre
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  3. Joaquim P. Ferreira
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  4. Rui Machado
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  5. Pedro Santos
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Correspondence to Sérgio Godinho.

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Communicated by: C. Gortázar

Appendix I

Appendix I

Instead of focusing in each recorded latrine or rabbit nuclei identified, we defined our sampling unit as a square plot with 250 × 250 m, where we collected and computed all the information about the studied variables (dependent and independent).

Temporary streams, ecotone and artificial warrens were considered as important habitat elements. We aimed at assessing the availability of these habitat elements, within each sample plot, considering both their proximity and quantity. For that, we defined distance classes and measured the area occupied by each one of them (see Figure for ecotone distance e.g.) using the Spatial Analyst extension with a ‘Find distance’ function of ArcView 3.2 software.

We used this approach instead of simpler distances measures (e.g., the distance from the sample plot centroid to the nearest artificial warren, the mean distance from the sample plot centroid to all artificial warrens, etc.) because we believe that distance classes proportion and distribution in each sample plot is a better resource availability descriptor.

figure a

Figure – Ecotone distance gradient

Slope direction calculation

figure b

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Godinho, S., Mestre, F., Ferreira, J.P. et al. Effectiveness of habitat management in the recovery of low-density populations of wild rabbit. Eur J Wildl Res 59, 847–858 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0738-3

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