Profitiert der Feldhase vom ökologischen Landbau?

Summary

European brown hare numbers have dramatically declined in arable land throughout
Europe. Loss of food abundance and cover due to mechanisation and intensification
of agriculture are suggested to be the main reasons for this decline. Organic farming
should sustain higher hare densities because of better habitat quality and higher food
abundance. In our study hare densities estimated during spotlight counts increased
from eight hares per km² (1998) up to 55 hares (2008) per km² after conversion of the
study site from conventional to organic farming. Reasons for this increase in hare
density may be higher abundance of year-round forage and cover as shown by
preliminary results of radio-tracking data. Organic farming sustains good habitat
quality for European hares and enhances their densities. Conservation strategies
should therefore promote organic farming as a management tool.