Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR06142
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 34(8)

Long-term decline of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in south-western Spain

Sacramento Moreno A F , Juan F. Beltrán B , Irene Cotilla C , Beatriz Kuffner D , Rafael Laffite A , Gloria Jordán E , José Ayala A , Carmen Quintero A , Antonio Jiménez A , Francisca Castro C , Sonia Cabezas A and Rafael Villafuerte C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Applied Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Avda. María Luisa s/n, 41013 Seville, Spain.

B Department of Physiology and Zoology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain.

C Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.

D Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avda. Ciudad de Valparaíso s/n, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.

E Fundación General de la Universidad de Castilla – la Mancha, C/Altagracia, 50 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.

F Corresponding author. Email: smoreno@ebd.csic.es

Wildlife Research 34(8) 652-658 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR06142
Submitted: 24 October 2006  Accepted: 31 October 2007   Published: 18 December 2007

Abstract

The European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species native to the Iberian Peninsula, where it was once extremely abundant. It is considered the most important prey item for the peninsula’s assemblage of Mediterranean vertebrate predators, which includes two endangered specialist rabbit feeders, the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) and the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). However, rabbit population trends in Spain have not been accurately documented. In the present study, we analysed trends in a population of European rabbits monitored over 23 years in the Doñana National Park, home to one of the most diverse and densest predator communities in Europe. Rabbit abundance and population trends were estimated using roadside counts. Results show that the rabbit population declined sharply by ~60% during the first wave of epizootic rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) in 1990. Since then, rabbit numbers have declined at a relatively constant rate and the species has become progressively scarcer in the area. The current population is less than 10% of that before the arrival of RHD. However, after the RHD epizootic we observed increasing intra-annual population recruitment. We hypothesise that density-dependent factors caused by enzootic viral diseases (myxomatosis, RHD) and higher predation of rabbits are the main factors preventing recovery of rabbit numbers. The effects of a decline in the prey species on the ecology of sympatric rabbit predators are discussed, and measures to improve ongoing rabbit conservation efforts are suggested.


Acknowledgements

We thank Drs J. J. Negro, M. Ferrer, J. Litvaitis and P. Palomares for revision of a previous version of this manuscript. We also thank two anonymous referees whose comments helped us improve the manuscript. The study was funded by several different projects including 1FD1997-0789, BOS2001-2391-C02-01, REN2001-0448, PAI06-0170, FAU2006-0014-C02-02, and CGL2005-02340. This work was undertaken in accordance with the laws of Spain.


References

Anderson, D. R. (2001). The need to get the basics right in wildlife field studies. Wildlife Society Bulletin 29, 1294–1297.
Blanco J. C., and Villafuerte R. (1993). Factores ecológicos que influyen sobre las poblaciones de conejo. Efectos de la enfermedad hemorrágico vírica. TRAGSA, Madrid Spain.

Calvete, C. , Estrada, R. , Villafuerte, R. , Osacar, J. J. , and Lucientes, J. (2002). Epidemiology of viral haemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis in a free-living population of wild rabbits. Veterinary Record 150, 776–782.
| PubMed | Delany M. J. (1974). ’ The Ecology of Small Mammals.’ Studies in Biology n° 51. (E. Arnold Ltd.)

Delibes M., and Hiraldo F. (1981). The rabbit as prey in the Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems. In ‘Proceedings of the World Lagomorph Conference.’ (Eds K. Myers and C. D. MacInnes.) pp. 614–622. (University of Güelph & Wildlife Research, Ministry of Natural Resources: Ontario.)

Delibes M., Ferreras P., Travaini A., and Laffite R. (1992). Evolución de las poblaciones de carnívoros del Parque Nacional de Doñana. Informe Final. Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla Spain.

Delibes M., Rodríguez A., and Ferreras P. (2000). Action Plan for the conservation of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Europe. Council of Europe Publishing, Nature and Environment, No. 111. Strasbourg, France.

Delibes-Mateos, M. , Redpath, S. M. , Angulo, E. , Ferreras, P. , and Villafuerte, R. (2007). Rabbits as a keystone species in southern Europe. Biological Conservation 137, 149–156.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Ferrer M. (2001). ‘The Spanish Imperial Eagle.’ (Lynx Editions: Madrid.)

Ferrer, M. , and Donázar, J. A. (1996). Density-dependent fecundity by habitat heterogeneity in an increasing population of Spanish imperial eagles. Ecology 77, 69–74.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Ferreras P. (2001). Evolución reciente de la distribución y abundancia de mamíferos carnívoros en la comarca de Doñana. In ‘V Congress of SECEM.’ Vitoria-Gasteiz. SECEM, pp. 69–70.

Forero, M. G. , Donázar, J. A. , and Hiraldo, F. (2002). Causes and fitness consequences of natal dispersal in a population of black kites. Ecology 83, 858–872.
García y Bellido A. (1986). España y los españoles hace dos mil años. Según la geografía de Strabon. Espasa-Calpe, Madrid.

Harris, R. B. , and Burnham, K. P. (2002). On estimating wildlife densities from line transect data. Acta Zoologica Sinica 48, 812–818.
Hiraldo F., Bustamante J., and Donázar J. A. (1997). Factores que condicionan la distribución reproductora del milano real (Milvus milvus) en Andalucía: Elaboración de un plan de conservación. Junta de Andalucía-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.

Holden, C. , and Mutze, G. (2002). Impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease on introduced predators in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Wildlife Research 29, 615–626.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Kufner M. B. (1986). Tamaño, actividad, densidad relativa y preferencia de hábitat de los pequeños y medianos mamíferos de Doñana, como factores condicionantes de su tasa de predación. Ph.D. Thesis. Universidad Autónoma, Madrid.

LIFE (2002). Recuperación del lince ibérico (Lynx pardinus) en Andalucía (2002–2006). 02/NAT/E/8609.

Lombardi, L. , Fernández, N. , Villafuerte, R. , and Moreno, S. (2003). Habitat related change in rabbit abundance, distribution and activity. Journal of Mammalogy 84, 26–36.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Palomares F., Delibes M., Revilla E., Calzada J., and Fedriani J. M. (2001). Spatial ecology of Iberian lynx and abundance of European rabbits in southwestern Spain. Wildlife Monograph 148, pp. 1–36.

Pech, R. P. , Sinclair, A. R. E. , Newsome, A. E. , and Catling, P. C. (1992). Limits to predator regulation of rabbits in Australia: evidence from predator-removal experiments. Oecologia 89, 102–112.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Piorno V. (2006). Gestión cinegética y conservación del conejo de monte. Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad de Vigo, Spain.

Poole, D. W. , Cowan, D. P. , and Smith, G. C. (2003). Developing a census method based on sight counts to estimate rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) numbers. Wildlife Research 30, 487–493.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Rau J. R. (1987). Ecología del zorro, Vulpes vulpes (L.) en la Reserva Biológica de Doñana, SO de España. Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.

Rödel, H. G. , Bora, A. , Kaiser, J. , Kaetzke, P. , Khaschei, M. , and von Holst, D. (2004). Density dependent reproduction in the European rabbit: a consequence of individual response and age-dependent reproductive performance. Oikos 104, 529–539.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Rosell J. M. (2000). Enfermedades del conejo. Editorial Mundi-Prensa. Madrid, Barcelona, México.

Saunders, G. , Choquenot, D. , McIlroy, J. , and Packwood, R. (1999). Initial effects of rabbit hemorrhagic disease on free-living rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations in central-western New South Wales. Wildlife Research 26, 69–74.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Thomas L., Laake J. L., Durry J. F., Buckland S. T., Borchers D. L., et al. (1998). Program Dros. Inf. Serv.TANCE 3.5. Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment, University of St Andrews, UK. Available from http://www.ruwpa.st-and.ac.uk/distance.

Thompson W. L., White G. C., and Gowan C. (1998). ‘Monitoring Vertebrate Populations.’ (Academic Press: San Diego, CA.)

Travaini, A. , Delibes, M. , Ferreras, P. , and Palomares, F. (1997). Diversity abundance or rare species as a target for the conservation of mammalian carnivores: a case study in southern Spain. Biodiversity and Conservation 6, 529–535.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Villafuerte R. (1994). Riesgo de predación y estrategias defensivas del conejo, Oryctolagus cuniculus, en el Parque Nacional de Doñana. Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain.

Villafuerte, R. , Kufner, M. B. , Delibes, M. , and Moreno, S. (1993). Environmental factors influencing the seasonal daily activity of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in a Mediterranean area. Mammalia 57, 341–347.
Viñuela J., and Villafuerte R. (2003). Predators and rabbits in Spain: a key conflict for conservation of European raptors. In ‘Birds of prey in a Changing Environment’. (Eds D. B. M. Thompson, S. Redpath, A. Fielding, M. Marquis and C. A. Galbraith.) (The Stationery Office: Edinburgh.)

Virgós, E. , Cabezas-Díaz, S. , and Lozano, J. (2007). Is the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) a threatened species in Spain? Sociological constraints in the conservation of species. Biodiversity and Conservation 16, 3489–3504.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Zapata, S. C. , Travaini, A. , and Delibes, M. (1998). Reproduction of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes, in Doñana, southern Spain. Mammalia 62, 139–142.