Simulating Brown hare (Lepus europaeusPallas) dispersion: a tool for wildlife management of wide areas

Abstract

The second half of the 20 th century was characterised by intense processes of urbanisation, industrialisation and agricultural mechanisation, leading to a fragmentation of the agricultural and forest landscape. This, in turn, reduced the bio-permeability of the territory and affected the dispersion of many wild species. Brown hare (Lepus europeus) dispersion is dramatically affected by habitat fragmentation, presence of predators, intense tillage and elevated hunting pressure. Consequently, the only stable populations of hare are often in no-hunting areas where wildlife management is efficient. It is necessary, therefore, to identify not only additional areas suitable for reproduction, but also the most suitable dispersion pathways for hares, in order to optimise management. In the present study, by means of a Geographic Information System (GIS), a deterministic hare suitability model was developed on the basis of a multicriterial approach and fuzzy logic. Subsequently, a friction surface was derived from the suitability map in order to describe the land bio-permeability. Finally, on the basis of species potential, the spread of hares from stable population areas (source areas) to the remaining territory was simulated. The area of study was the province of Viterbo (central Italy). The suitability map showed good discrimination ability (ROC=0.705). The hare dispersion simulation map allowed the potential spreading of this species throughout the provincial territory to be analysed. Isolated or less connected zones were highlighted, allowing the distribution of habitat enhancements, and/or the institution of new no-hunting areas devoted to the reproduction and consequent spread of hares throughout the territory, to be localised. The presented flexible and reiterable methodology could prove useful for wildlife management and hunting planning over a wide area. It would thus provide an important contribution to reducing the importance of animal translocation and favouring an increase in native resources spontaneously spreading throughout a territory. In a more general sense, this study is in accordance with the sustainable land management perspective, meeting the requirements of environmental protection, without compromising the anthropic development of non-urban areas.

Spatial behaviour and survival of translocated wild brown hares

“…The longer time to stabilisation observed in Mieussy is likely linked to the difference in environmental conditions between the source area and this target area. Translocations are often considered to have a low rate of success, particularly because of the induced stress during capture, handling, captivity, transport, release, and acclimation in the release sites leading to a lowered survival (Letty et al, 2003;Pelorosso et al, 2008;Dickens et al, 2010). We tried to reduce this stress to a maximum by reducing the length of each step.…”

“…There was thus no consideration for the genetic homogeneity of the released hares. In Italy, translocation experiments with wild hares were conducted on a regional scale (Paci et al, 2006;Pelorosso et al, 2008) , respecting the genetic origin of the local population. However, in these instances results were generally disappointing.…”

Forestry indemnity: a regional case study

“…Each site was investigated by the all working groups, and results were set out under Amici et al 2008;Anselmi et al 2008a, b, c;Baldini et al 2008;Carbone et al 2010;Di Filippo et al 2010;Pelorosso et al 2008;Primi et al 2007;Ravaioli et al 2008. Table 2, however, provides some relevant indicators to the assessment of effectiveness of this particular regional forest policy.…”

Application, validation and comparison in different geographical contexts of an integrated model for the design of ecological networks

“…Such values were obtained by averaging those found in the literature (Drielsma, Ferrier, & Manion, 2007;Fiduccia, 1998;Metzger & Dècamps, 1997;Romano, 2000), which are strictly linked to the habitat preferences in terms of land-use categories of the focal species and ability of focal species in crossing a certain land-use category (Pelorosso et al, 2008).…”