Habitat overlap between sympatric European hares (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepus europaeus</Emphasis>) and Eastern cottontails (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sylvilagus floridanus</Emphasis>) in northern Italy |
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Authors: | Anna Vidus-Rosin Alberto Meriggi Elisa Cardarelli Sara Serrano-Perez Maria-Chiara Mariani Chiara Corradelli Annalisa Barba |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Animal Biology, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy;(2) Departamento de Anatomia, Biologia Celular y Zoologia, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universitad de Extremadura, Avda. Universitad sn, 10071 Caceres, Spain |
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Abstract: | In northern Italy, the range of the Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) largely overlaps with that of the native European hare (Lepus europaeus) on the Po Plain. Both species appear to have similar habitat requirements. We studied habitat selection by hares and cottontails
during feeding activity from September 2006 to August 2007 in two areas where they occur alone (allopatry) and in one area
where they occur together (sympatry). The three areas were basically similar, so that shifts in habitat use observed in sympatry
should reflect the response to interspecific competition. Habitat selection was examined at micro- and macro-habitat levels
throughout seasons. Habitat breadth of both species followed the change of resource availability through seasons in allopatry
as well as in sympatry. No shifts in habitat use were evident at macro-habitat level, even during autumn which was the limiting
season. Exploitation of shared habitats by the two species seems to be promoted by differential micro-habitat use within macro-habitat
types. Cottontails used woods with dense understory in greater proportion than hares, and their present sites were concentrated
within the maximum distance of 20 m of the nearest shelter site. Hares were more likely than cottontails to exploit crops,
and their sites were distributed even greater than 80 m away from permanent cover patches. The habitat heterogeneity of agricultural
ecosystems within the sympatry range could buffer the negative effects of external factors (climate, human disturbance and
predation) on hares, and enhance the chances of exploitation of shared habitats by both species. |
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