<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Godinho, Sérgio</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mestre, Frederico</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ferreira, JoaquimP</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Machado, Rui</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Santos, Pedro</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Effectiveness of habitat management in the recovery of low-density populations of wild rabbit</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">European Journal of Wildlife Research</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Environmental factors</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Habitat management</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">oryctolagus cuniculus</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Portugal</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Season</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2013</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2013///</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0738-3</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">59</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">847 - 858</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Understanding the relationship between spatial patterns of landscape attributes and population presence and abundance is essential for understanding population processes as well as supporting management and conservation strategies. This study evaluates the influence of three factors: environment, habitat management, and season on the presence and abundance of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), an important prey species for Mediterranean endangered predator species. To address this issue, we estimated wild rabbit presence and abundance by latrine counting in transects located in 45 plots within a 250 × 250 m grid from June 2007 until June 2009 in a 1,200 ha hunting area in southern Portugal. We then analyzed how wild rabbit presence and abundance correlate with the aforementioned factors. Our results showed that the main variable influencing wild rabbit presence and abundance was the distance to the artificial warrens. North and northeast slope directions were negatively related to wild rabbit presence. Conversely, rabbit presence was positively correlated with short distances to ecotone, artificial warrens, and spring. Regarding rabbit abundance, in addition to artificial warrens, soft soils, bushes, and season also had a positive effect. We found that environmental variables, management practices, and season each affect wild rabbit presence and abundance differently at a home range scale in low-density population. Thus, our major recommendations are reducing the distance to artificial warrens and ecotone, ideally to less than 100 m, and promoting habitat quality improvement on slopes with plenty of sun exposure.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6</style></issue><notes><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The following values have no corresponding Zotero field:&lt;br/&gt;publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg</style></notes></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Virgos, E</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Casanovas, J G</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Environmental constraints at the edge of a species distribution, the Eurasian badger (Meles meles L.): a biogeographic approach</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Environmental factors</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mediterranean mountains</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">meles meles</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">niche hypothesis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">species distributions</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1999</style></year></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">BLACKWELL SCIENCE LTD</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">P O BOX 88, OSNEY MEAD, OXFORD OX2 0NE, OXON, ENGLAND</style></pub-location><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">26</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">559-564</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aim This paper describes the distribution pattern (occurrence) of badgers (Meles meles L. 1758) in a Mediterranean mountain area of central Spain, in relation to landscape characteristics and climatic data. We test the fit of the badger occurrence pattern to the niche hypothesis predictions. Location We sampled twenty-four survey plots randomly distributed in the mountains of central Spain (Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid): ten in the north and fourteen in the south slopes. All habitat types and climatic conditions typical of central Spain can be found. Methods The ocurrence of badgers ill the plots were recorded through an exhaustive search of setts and latrines in four different (and evenly spaced) points in each plot. The index of occurrence was made by dividing the number of positive points (badger presence) by the total number of points sampled (four in all plots). Landscape patterns (% type of habitat in each plot) were obtained from detailed maps and climate data from meteorological stations placed in the plot. We analyse the contribution of landscape variables and climate data to explain the differences in badger occurrence through Pearson correlations and fixed one-way ANCOVA with climatic data as fixed factor, vegetation cover as covariates and badger occurrence as response variable. Additionally, we use an one-way ANOVA to check the differences in occurrence between north and south plots with the location of each plot as fixed factor. Results The results indicate that the badger is more abundant in rainy areas of the mountains, and in open landscapes vegetated by ash-tree forests than in closed landscapes vegetated by helm oak forests. In addition, the species is more abundant in the northern plots than in the southern ones. Northern plots were homogeneous areas characterized by their open landscape and wet climate, while southern plots were characterized by their dry climate and closed landscapes. In addition, climate (measured as summer rain) is more determinant than habitat type (holm oak cover) to explain the pattern of badger occurrence. Main conclusions Overall, we consider that the typical Mediterranean landscapes are poor habitats for badgers due to changes in the environmental conditions associated with. concomitant changes in food resources. These data support the niche hypothesis to explain the changes in abundance or occurrence close to the edge of the distribution of species, and in particular, in Palearctic species in the Mediterranean area.</style></abstract></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Virgos, E.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Casanovas, J. G.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Environmental constraints at the edge of a species distribution, the Eurasian badger (Meles meles L.): a biogeographic approach</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Environmental factors</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mediterranean mountains</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">meles meles</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">niche hypothesis</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">species distributions</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1999</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1999///</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">26</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">559 - 564</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aim This paper describes the distribution pattern (occurrence) of badgers (Meles meles L. 1758) in a Mediterranean mountain area of central Spain, in relation to landscape characteristics and climatic data. We test the fit of the badger occurrence pattern to the niche hypothesis predictions. Location We sampled twenty-four survey plots randomly distributed in the mountains of central Spain (Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid): ten in the north and fourteen in the south slopes. All habitat types and climatic conditions typical of central Spain can be found. Methods The ocurrence of badgers ill the plots were recorded through an exhaustive search of setts and latrines in four different (and evenly spaced) points in each plot. The index of occurrence was made by dividing the number of positive points (badger presence) by the total number of points sampled (four in all plots). Landscape patterns (% type of habitat in each plot) were obtained from detailed maps and climate data from meteorological stations placed in the plot. We analyse the contribution of landscape variables and climate data to explain the differences in badger occurrence through Pearson correlations and fixed one-way ANCOVA with climatic data as fixed factor, vegetation cover as covariates and badger occurrence as response variable. Additionally, we use an one-way ANOVA to check the differences in occurrence between north and south plots with the location of each plot as fixed factor. Results The results indicate that the badger is more abundant in rainy areas of the mountains, and in open landscapes vegetated by ash-tree forests than in closed landscapes vegetated by helm oak forests. In addition, the species is more abundant in the northern plots than in the southern ones. Northern plots were homogeneous areas characterized by their open landscape and wet climate, while southern plots were characterized by their dry climate and closed landscapes. In addition, climate (measured as summer rain) is more determinant than habitat type (holm oak cover) to explain the pattern of badger occurrence. Main conclusions Overall, we consider that the typical Mediterranean landscapes are poor habitats for badgers due to changes in the environmental conditions associated with. concomitant changes in food resources. These data support the niche hypothesis to explain the changes in abundance or occurrence close to the edge of the distribution of species, and in particular, in Palearctic species in the Mediterranean area.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">3</style></issue><notes><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The following values have no corresponding Zotero field:&lt;br/&gt;pub-location: P O BOX 88, OSNEY MEAD, OXFORD OX2 0NE, OXON, ENGLAND&lt;br/&gt;publisher: BLACKWELL SCIENCE LTD</style></notes></record></records></xml>