Diet selection by hares (Lepus europaeus) in arable land and its implications for habitat management |
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Authors: | Thomas Reichlin Erich Klansek Klaus Hackländer |
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Institution: | (1) Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria;(2) Zoological Institute—Conservation Biology, University of Bern, Erlachstrasse 9a, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;(3) Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Peter-Jordan-Str. 76, 1190 Vienna, Austria |
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Abstract: | Populations of European hares (Lepus europaeus) have experienced a dramatic decline throughout Europe in recent decades. European hares are assumed to prefer weeds over
arable crops, and weed abundance was reduced by the intensification of agriculture. Therefore, modern agriculture has been
blamed as a major factor affecting European hare populations. However, it is questionable whether European hares select weeds
at all, as previous studies had major methodological limitations. By comparing availability and use of plants with Chesson’s
Electivity Index, we investigated whether the European hare actually feeds selectively on different plants in arable land.
Food availability and use were dominated by cultivated crops (e.g. winter wheat, spring barley and sugar beet). Diet selection
analysis revealed that in autumn and winter, European hares predominantly preferred cultivated crops (winter wheat) and food
items provided by hunters (tubers of sugar beet and carrot). In spring and summer, apart from soy, only weeds (e.g. clover
and corn poppy) were positively selected, especially after cereal crops were harvested. We suggest that the decline in European
hare populations throughout Europe was facilitated by the decrease in weed abundance. Wildlife-friendly set-asides in arable
land have the potential to reconcile the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy with wildlife conservation. |
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Keywords: | Conservation Set-aside Weeds Small game Electivity |
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