Traditional management of scrubland for the conservation of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus and their predators in Doñana National Park, Spain Original Research Article

Several endangered carnivores and raptors in Mediterranean Spain are very dependent on rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, which have shown a progressive decline in abundance for several decades. Land use neglect, and the consequent abandonment of traditional land use methods such as burning, is considered one of the factors responsible for this decrease. To examine this hypothesis we have compared rabbit use of experimentally burned and unburned scrubland areas. Rabbit activity was found to be significantly higher in burned areas, with the greatest use in less productive habitats in close proximity to scrub cover. The promotion of traditional land practices for nature conservation in the natural ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin is discussed.