Techniques for assessing the abundance of Brown Hares <i>Lepus europaeus</i>

Langbein, Jochen; Hutchings, Michael R.; Harris, Stephen; Stoate, Chris; Tapper, S. C.; Wray, Simon N.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2907.1999.00040.x

Cited by 99 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…We determined hare and cottontail habitat use by searching for the presence of faecal pellets in random plots (1-m radius) scattered in the study areas in each season (200 plots in area A, 150 in area B and 150 in area C). This technique can be applied over a large area and provides data on seasonal habitat use patterns of hares and cottontails (Swihart and Yahner 1984;Litvaitis et al 1985a, b;Langbein et al 1999). Each plot was cleaned at the beginning of the survey and in each season pellets were removed from plots when found.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat overlap between sympatric European hares (Lepus europaeus) and Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) in northern Italy

et al. 2010

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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 macrohabitat 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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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat overlap between sympatric European hares (Lepus europaeus) and Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) in northern Italy

et al. 2010

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“…Dropping counts are commonly regarded as good indicators of grazing activity for both geese (Owen 1971) and hare (Langbein et al 1999).…”

Section: Biomass Calculations and Feeding Guildsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem assembly rules: the interplay of green and brown webs during salt marsh succession

Schrama

Berg

Olff

2012

Ecology

108

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Abstract. Current theories about vegetation succession and food web assembly are poorly compatible, as food webs are generally viewed to be static, and succession is usually analyzed without the inclusion of higher trophic levels. In this study we present results from a detailed analysis of ecosystem assembly rules over a chronosequence of 100 years of salt marsh succession. First, using 13 yearlong observations on vegetation and soil parameters in different successional stages, we show that the space-for-time substitution is valid for this chronosequence. We then quantify biomass changes for all dominant invertebrate and vertebrate species across all main trophic groups of plants and animals. All invertebrate and vertebrate species were assigned to a trophic group according to feeding preference, and changes in trophic group abundance were quantified for seven different successional stages of the ecosystem. We found changes from a marine-fueled, decomposer-based (brown) food web in early stages to a more terrestrial, plant-based, herbivore-driven (green) food web in intermediate succession stages, and finally to a decomposer-based, terrestrial-driven food web in the latest stages. These changes were accompanied not only by an increase in live plant biomass and a leveling toward late succession but also by a constant increase in the amount of dead plant biomass over succession. Our results show that the structure and dynamics of salt marsh food webs cannot be understood except in light of vegetation succession, and vice versa.

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“…A new protocol was introduced, quantifying the fecal pellets along the shore line of the water, which was called fecal taxation (FTX). Counting fecal pellets is a common method for estimating the abundance of fleeing animals (11,19,33), but to our knowledge, it has not been applied to wild birds. Along the current shore lines of the pools, fecal pellets were counted within a 100-m-long and 1-m-wide strip.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For estimating fecal pellet production, a new approach was introduced, quantifying the fecal pellets along the shoreline of the water. The use of fecal pellets to trace the abundance of wild animals has been used several times (11,19,33), but to our knowledge, no attempt has been made to use this method for birds. In addition, a set of environmental variables was monitored to better understand the relationship between bird abundance, fecal pellet production, and the abundance of FIB as well as to clarify which group of FIB is best suited for indicating fecal pollution by waterfowl in these modestly saline environments.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Integral Strategy for Evaluation of Fecal Indicator Performance in Bird-Influenced Saline Inland Waters

Kirschner¹,

Zechmeister

Kavka

et al. 2004

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Wild birds are an important nonpoint source of fecal contamination of surface waters, but their contribution to fecal pollution is mostly difficult to estimate. Thus, to evaluate the relation between feces production and input of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) into aquatic environments by wild waterfowl, we introduced a new holistic approach for evaluating the performance of FIB in six shallow saline habitats. For this, we monitored bird abundance, fecal pellet production, and the abundance of FIB concomitantly with a set of environmental variables over a 9-month period. For estimating fecal pellet production, a new protocol of fecal pellet counting was introduced, which was called fecal taxation (FTX). We could show that, over the whole range of investigated habitats, bird abundance, FTX values, and FIB abundance were highly significantly correlated and could demonstrate the good applicability of the FTX as a meaningful surrogate parameter for recent bird abundances and fecal contamination by birds in shallow aquatic ecosystems. Presumptive enterococci (ENT) were an excellent surrogate parameter of recent fecal contamination in these saline environments for samples collected at biweekly to monthly sampling intervals while presumptive Escherichia coli and fecal coliforms (FC) were often undetectable. Significant negative correlations with salinity indicated that E. coli and FC survival was hampered by osmotic stress. Statistical analyses further revealed that fecal pollution-associated parameters represented one system component independent from other environmental variables and that, besides feces production, rainfall, total suspended solids (direct), and trophy (indirect) had significant positive effects on ENT concentrations. Our holistic approach of linking bird abundance, feces production, and FIB detection with environmental variables may serve as a powerful model for application to other aquatic ecosystems.Wild waterfowl are known to be an important nonpoint source of fecal contamination of surface waters (1,8,15,25,30). Wild birds have been reported to excrete large amounts of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (8, 25) and occasionally harbor enteric pathogens (20,21). Especially for public swimming beaches, fecal contamination by wild birds can therefore impose a severe problem for the persons in charge to meet the legal limits for FIB. Locating the source of contamination, however, is often a tricky business, and the contribution of wild birds to the total contamination of surface waters is mostly difficult to estimate. Thus, it would be considerably helpful to better understand the relations between feces production by wild waterfowl and their input of FIB into aquatic environments.We therefore monitored, over a 9-month period, the relations between bird abundances, their fecal pellet production, and three groups of FIB in six shallow, modestly saline aquatic environments. As the investigated saline pools are nearly exclusively visited by birds and no other animals and because they exhibit a steep gradien...

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Techniques for assessing the abundance of Brown Hares Lepus europaeus

Cited by 99 publications

References 26 publications

Habitat overlap between sympatric European hares (Lepus europaeus) and Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) in northern Italy

Habitat overlap between sympatric European hares (Lepus europaeus) and Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) in northern Italy

Ecosystem assembly rules: the interplay of green and brown webs during salt marsh succession

Integral Strategy for Evaluation of Fecal Indicator Performance in Bird-Influenced Saline Inland Waters

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