Abstract
Habitat management should be an important part of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) conservation, but the habitat requirements of this species are not fully recognised. The aim of our research was to estimate these requirements by analysing the effect of various agricultural landscape structure features on the distribution of hares in five agricultural areas in Germany and Poland. The local density of hares was assessed in the spring and autumn of 2006 by using the method of spotlight–strip counts on 9–15 subareas in each research region. The structure of agricultural landscape has been described for each subarea: the share of grain, other crops and grasses as well as the density of crop edges and uncultivated places with wild vegetation. The density of hares was considerably higher in Germany than in Poland (18.8–48.4 vs. 4.1–9.5 indiv./km2). The hare density was positively correlated with non-grain crops in an area, with crop edges in two areas and with wild vegetation without trees in two areas, and negatively correlated with grassfields in two areas. The occurrence of wild vegetation without trees affected the hare density only in the study areas, where this habitat was relatively rare (<3 km/km2). It was suggested that proper projects aimed at habitat management for brown hares should be elastic, i.e. the projects should be modified depending on the structure of local landscapes. Moreover, the protection and creation of structures with wild vegetation among cropland seem to be considerable methods of brown hare or generally wildlife conservation; therefore, such measures should be an important part of agro-environmental packages.
Highlights
The number of brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in Central Europe, including the territory of Germany and Poland, decreased significantly within the last two decades of the 20th century (Strauss and Pohlmeyer 2001; Kamieniarz and Panek 2008)
It may lead to the limitation of food resources and especially the availability of vegetation containing sufficient amount of specific nutrients, as many plant species preferred by the brown hare grow at the edges of crop fields and wastelands (Endler and Jezierski 1995)
In Poland, hares were less frequently caught by their main predators, i.e. red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), in more diversified habitats than in homogeneous ones, especially in the areas with low density of hares (Panek 2009)
Summary
The number of brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in Central Europe, including the territory of Germany and Poland, decreased significantly within the last two decades of the 20th century (Strauss and Pohlmeyer 2001; Kamieniarz and Panek 2008). The intensification of agriculture, i.e. the increase of field sizes, the homogenisation of crop structure and the decrease of unmanaged areas with wild vegetation, is considered one of the crucial causes of this phenomenon (Tapper and Barnes 1986; Panek and Kamieniarz 1999; Smith et al 2005). It may lead to the limitation of food resources and especially the availability of vegetation containing sufficient amount of specific nutrients, as many plant species preferred by the brown hare grow at the edges of crop fields and wastelands (Endler and Jezierski 1995). In areas of low habitat diversity, Frylestam (1980) found lower body weights, higher mortality rates and smaller litters of brown hare. The structure of agricultural landscape may determine the rate of predation on hares. The interactions between the agricultural landscape structure and predation risk may
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