A large‐scale assessment of European rabbit damage to agriculture in Spain

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Numerous small and medium-sized mammal pests cause widespread and economically significant damage to crops all over the globe. However, most research on pest species has focused on accounts of the level of damage. There are fewer studies concentrating on the description of crop damage caused by pests at large geographical scales, or on analysis of the ecological and anthropogenic factors correlated with these observed patterns. We investigated the relationship between agricultural damage by the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and environmental and anthropogenic variables throughout Spain. RESULTS: Rabbit damage was mainly concentrated within the central-southern regions of Spain. We found that rabbit damage increased significantly between the early 2000s and 2013. Greater losses were typical of those areas where farming dominated and natural vegetation was scarce, where main railways and highways were present, and where environmental conditions were generally favourable for rabbit populations to proliferate.CONCLUSION: From our analysis, we suggest that roads and railway lines act as potential corridors along which rabbits can spread. The recent increase in Spain of such infrastructure may explain the rise in rabbit damage reported in this study. Our approach is valuable as a method for assessing drivers of wildlife pest damage at large spatial scales, and can be used to propose methods to reduce human − wildlife conflict.

A review of ecological factors promoting road use by mammals

“…Range expansion may influence native wildlife by introducing new predators or competitors for resources, or by increasing ranges of invasive species (Lucaccioni et al 2016). Range expansion via roads may also affect humans, through an increase in human–wildlife conflict or greater damage by pest species (Delibes‐Mateos et al 2018).…”

Conflict and cooperation in the management of European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus damage to agriculture in Spain

“…In Spain, farmers' complaints for rabbit damage to crops are spatially widespread and have steadily increased since early 2000s (Delibes‐Mateos et al., 2018). Most rabbit damage is reported for vineyards and cereal crops (Delibes‐Mateos et al., 2018; Ríos‐Saldaña et al., 2013), where it may potentially cause severe yield reductions (Barrio et al., 2011). In some areas, agriculture intensification may have reduced the availability of natural food resources for rabbits, forcing them to feed on crops (Barrio et al., 2013).…”

“…The outbreak of a new variant of rabbit haemorrhagic disease in the early 2010s decimated most Iberian rabbit populations (Monterroso et al., 2016), and this was associated with a decline in farmers' complaints about rabbit damage (Delibes‐Mateos et al., 2018). However, such complaints did not entirely disappear and even have increased again in recent years (Delibes‐Mateos et al., 2018).…”

“…In some areas, agriculture intensification may have reduced the availability of natural food resources for rabbits, forcing them to feed on crops (Barrio et al, 2013). In general, greater damage is found in farmland areas where motorways and railways are present; verges and embankments offer ideal conditions for rabbit warren building and provide rabbits with refuge against hunters, as shooting is banned in these areas (Delibes-Mateos et al, 2018).…”

Does short‐term habitat management for the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have lasting effects?

“…Habitat changes have led to the loss of the species' preferred habitats: landscape mosaics that simultaneously provide shelter and food (Calvete, Estrada, Angulo, & Cabezas‐Ruiz, ). Conversely, in other areas, agriculture intensification leading to impoverished arable weed communities which serve rabbits as alternative food (e.g., olive groves or vineyards), has led to significant increases in rabbit numbers, causing substantial crop damage (Barrio, Bueno, Villafuerte, & Tortosa, ; Delibes‐Mateos et al, ).…”