The effect of some habitat factors on the spatial distribution of a hare population during the winter

Abstract

Wojciech BRESIŃSKI Bresiński W., 1983: The effect of some habitat factors on the spatial distribution of a hare population during the w inter. Acta theriol., 28, 29: 435-441 [With 2 Tables]. Exam ination was made of the effect of agrarian structure, urbaniza­ tion of the area, forest-field habitat distribution, and the am ount of tree stand in fields on the w inter distribution of a hare population, Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778, paying particular attention to the age and sex structure of a population of this species. It was found th at the agrarian structure and num ber of trees in fields did not exert any significant effect on differences in the density of the hare population, although such density is affected by the urbanization of the area and the forest-field habitat distribution. Fewer num bers of young indi­ viduals were found in urbanized areas. Density of hares in small forests was significantly greater than in fields as the result of the animals moving from fields to wooded land.