Seasonal variation in the diet of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Andean region of Neuquén, Argentina
Keywords:
exotic species, microhistological analysis, Patagonia, trophic diversityAbstract
Botanical composition and seasonal variation of the diet of European wild rabbit were determined. The study was carried out in the Andean region of Neuquén province, Argentina, where fresh samples from at least 15 individuals were collected at every season; the samples were analyzed individually using a microhistological method. Grasses represented the main basis of the diet at all seasons of the year; Poa pratensis and Festuca pallescens were the most consumed species. Graminoids were the second most important group, with Juncus balticus and Carex gayana as major nutritional items. Forbs had moderate participation in the spring and summer diets whereas shrubs and arboreal species were relatively important in the winter diet only. According to our results, the rabbit proved to be a mainly grazing herbivore and the “mallines” (wet meadows) were the main feeding areas, although the use of space varied according to the seasons of the year.
References
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SIOBHAN, GD; JS FAIRLEY & G O’DONNELL. 1996. Food of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus on upland grass-lands in Connemara. Biology & Environment-Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 96B(2):69-75.
SORIGUER, RC. 1988. Alimentación del conejo (Oryctolagus cuniculus L. 1758) en Doñana, SO, España. Doñana Acta Vert. 15:141-150.
THOMPSON, HV & CM KING. 1994. The European rabbits, the history and biology of an successful colonizer. Oxford University Press. New York. 245 pp.
WALLAGE-DREES, M & N MICHIELSEN. 1989. The influence of food supply on the population dynamics of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), in a Dutch dune area. Z. Säugetierk. 54:304-323.
WASHINGTON, HG. 1984. Diversity, biotic and similarity indices. Rev. Water Res. 18(6):653-694.
WILLIAMS, OB. 1969. An improved technique for identification of plant fragments in herbivore feces. J. Range Manage. 21:264-265.
WILLIAMS, K; I PARER; B COMAN; J BURLEY & M BRAYSHER. 1995. Managing Vertebrate Pests: Rabbits. Australian Government Publishing Service. Canberra, Australia. 284 pp.
WILLIAMS, OB; TC WELLS & DA WELLS. 1974. Grazing management of Woodwaltonfoten: seasonal changes in the diet of the cattle and rabbits. J. Appl. Ecol. 11:499-516.
WOLFE, A; J WHELAN & TJ HAYDEN. 1996. Dietary over-lap between the Irish mountain hare Lepus timidus hibernicus and the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus on coastal grassland. Biology & Environment-Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 96B(2):89-95.
ARMSTRONG, P. 1982. Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on islands: a case study of successful colonization. J. Biogeog. 9:353-362.
AULD, TD. 1990. Regeneration in populations of the arid zone plants Acacia carnie and A. oswaldii. Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia 16:267-272.
AYESA, J; D BARRIOS; G BECKER; D BRAN; F LETOURNEAU ET AL. 1999. Evaluación de los recursos naturales renovables del área Pulmarí y recomendaciones orientativas para su aprovechamiento sustentable. INTA EEA Bariloche. Comunicación Técnica RN 54. 131 p.
BARROS, V; V CORDON; C MOYANO; R MENDEZ; J FORQUERA ET AL. 1983. Cartas de precipitación de la zona oeste de Río Negro y Neuquén. Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Fac. de Agronomía. Cinco Saltos, Neuquén.
BHADRESA, R. 1977. Food preferences of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus L. at Holkham sand dunes, Norfolk. J. Appl. Ecol. 14:287-291.
BOELKE, O. 1957. Comunidades herbáceas del norte de Patagonia y sus relaciones con la ganadería. Rev. Inv. Agr. 11:1-97.
BONINO, N & J AMAYA. 1985. Distribución geográfica, perjuicios y control del conejo silvestre europeo Oryctolagus cuniculus (L) en la República Argentina. IDIA 432:2550.
BONINO, N & R GADER. 1987. Expansión del conejo silvestre europeo (Oryctolagus cuniculus) en la Rep. Argentina y perspectivas futuras. An. Mus. Hist. Nat. 18:157-162.
BONINO, N & R SORIGUER. 2004. Distribución actual y dispersión del conejo europeo (Oryctolagus cuniculus) en Mendoza (Argentina). Mastozoología Neotropical 11(2):237-241.
CABRERA, A. 1971. Fitogeografía de la República Argentina. Bol. Soc. Arg. Bot. 14:1-42.
CHAPUIS, JL. 1990. Comparison of the diets of two sympatric lagomorphs, Lepus europaeus (Pallas) and Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) in an agroecosystem of the Ile-de-France. Z. Säugetierk. 55:176-185.
FLUX, JEC. 1994. World distribution. Pp. 8-21 in: HV Thompson & CM King (eds.). The European rabbits, the history and biology of an successful colonizer. Oxford University Press. New York. 245 pp.
GIBB, JA & J MORGAN WILLIAMS. 1994. The rabbit in New Zealand. Pp. 158-204 in: HV Thompson & CM King (eds.). The European rabbits, the history and biology of an successful colonizer. Oxford University Press. New York. 245 pp.
HOLECHEK, JL. 1982. Sample preparation techniques for microhistological analysis. J. Range Manage. 35:541-542.
HOLECHEK, JL & B GROSS. 1982. Evaluation of different calculation procedures for microhistological analysis. J. Range Manage. 35:721-723.
HOMOLKA, M. 1987. A comparison of the trophic niches of Lepus europaeus and Oryctolagus cuniculus. Folia Zool. 36:307-317.
LATOUR, MC & A SBRILLER. 1981. Clave para la determinación de la dieta de herbívoros en el Noroeste de la Patagonia. Rev. Inv. Agrop. 16(1):109-157.
LEIGH, JH; DH WOOD; MD HOLGATE; AV SLEE & MG STANGER. 1989. Effects of rabbits and kangaroo grazing on two semi-arid grassland communities in central-western New South Wales. Aust. J. Ecol. 13:67-92.
MARCOLÍN, A; G DURAÑONA; R ORTIZ; E SOURROUILLE & G LARRAMA. 1978. Caracterización de mallines en un área del sudeste de Río Negro. INTA EEA Bariloche, Comunicación Técnica RN 29. 15 pp.
MARQUES, C & ML MATHIAS. 2001. The diet of the European wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), on different coastal habitats of Central Portugal. Mammalia 65(4):437-449.
MC INNIS, ML; LL LARSON & M VAVRA. 1990. Classifying herbivore diets using hierarchical cluster analysis. J. Range Manage. 43(3):271-274.
MYERS, K; I PARER; D WOOD & BD COOKE. 1994. Pp. 108-157 in: HV Thompson & CM King (eds.). The European rabbits, the history and biology of an successful colonizer. Oxford University Press, New York. 245 pp.
MYERS, K & WE POOLE. 1963. A study of the biology of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) in confined populations. IV. The effect of rabbit grazing on sown pastures. J. Ecol. 51:435-451.
ROGERS, PM; CP ARTHUR & RC SORIGUER. 1994. The rabbit in continental Europe. Pp. 22-63 in: HV Thompson & CM King (eds.). The European rabbits, the history and biology of an successful colonizer. Oxford University Press. New York. 245 pp.
SIEGEL, S. 1986. Estadística no paramétrica. Ed. Trillas. México. 344 p.
SIFFREDI, G & A SARMIENTO. 1982. Efecto del tamaño y número de las muestras para estimar la productividad de las hierbas en una estepa arbustiva patagónica. INTA Bariloche, Memoria Técnica 6:127-131.
SIOBHAN, GD; JS FAIRLEY & G O’DONNELL. 1996. Food of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus on upland grass-lands in Connemara. Biology & Environment-Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 96B(2):69-75.
SORIGUER, RC. 1988. Alimentación del conejo (Oryctolagus cuniculus L. 1758) en Doñana, SO, España. Doñana Acta Vert. 15:141-150.
THOMPSON, HV & CM KING. 1994. The European rabbits, the history and biology of an successful colonizer. Oxford University Press. New York. 245 pp.
WALLAGE-DREES, M & N MICHIELSEN. 1989. The influence of food supply on the population dynamics of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), in a Dutch dune area. Z. Säugetierk. 54:304-323.
WASHINGTON, HG. 1984. Diversity, biotic and similarity indices. Rev. Water Res. 18(6):653-694.
WILLIAMS, OB. 1969. An improved technique for identification of plant fragments in herbivore feces. J. Range Manage. 21:264-265.
WILLIAMS, K; I PARER; B COMAN; J BURLEY & M BRAYSHER. 1995. Managing Vertebrate Pests: Rabbits. Australian Government Publishing Service. Canberra, Australia. 284 pp.
WILLIAMS, OB; TC WELLS & DA WELLS. 1974. Grazing management of Woodwaltonfoten: seasonal changes in the diet of the cattle and rabbits. J. Appl. Ecol. 11:499-516.
WOLFE, A; J WHELAN & TJ HAYDEN. 1996. Dietary over-lap between the Irish mountain hare Lepus timidus hibernicus and the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus on coastal grassland. Biology & Environment-Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 96B(2):89-95.
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2006-06-01
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Bonino, N., & Borrelli, L. (2006). Seasonal variation in the diet of the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Andean region of Neuquén, Argentina. Ecología Austral, 16(1), 007–013. Retrieved from https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1448
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