The translocation of rabbits in a sand dune habitat - De ...

high mortality due to predation after releasein a new area, i.e. selecting areas with naturalburrows, a high level of vegetative coverand providing fencing around the burrows.However, we argue that mortality in the firstweek after release can probably not be totallyavoided, and it should be taken into considerationwhen deciding whether or not to adoptthe translocation or reintroduction of rabbitsas a conservation tool.Acknowledgements: We would like to thank E.Menkveld, L. Knol, F. Koning and A. van der Waterfrom Natuurmonumenten for giving us this researchopportunity and their help and interest in the field.N.D. Eck assisted in the analysis of food quality. Dr.J. Philippa, from the department of virology, ErasmusMedical Centre, Rotterdam, showed us how totake blood samples from wild rabbits to test for RHDand Dr. M. Van de Bildt from the same institute analyzedour samples. Prof. F. Berendse from the PlantEcology and Nature Conservation Group (WageningenUR) kindly allowed us to use their trail masters.Femke Schepers, Sylvia Fokkema and Geoffrey deRooij assisted in the fieldwork and Jozia Groenewegehelped us to make ear tags and change the batteries ofthe trail masters. The figures were prepared by DickVisser. This experiment was made possible by the initialrequest from Rijkswaterstaat Noord-Holland aboutthe possibilities of translocating animals, and theirfinancial support.ReferencesBakker, E.S. 2003. Herbivores as mediators of theirenvironment: the impact of large and small specieson vegetation dynamics. PhD thesis. WageningenUniversiteit, Wageningen, the Netherlands.Bakker, E.S., R.C. Reiffers, J.M. Gleichmann & H.Olff 2005. Experimental manipulation of foodquality and predation risk in the European rabbit:bottom-up versus top-down control in a centralplaceforaging herbivore. Oecologia 146: 157-167.Calvete, C., R. Villafuerte, J. Lucientes & J.J. Osacar1997. Effectiveness of traditional wild rabbit restockingin Spain. Journal of Zoology 241: 271-277.Calvete, C. & J. Estrada 2004. Short-term survivaland dispersal of translocated European wild rabbits.Improving the release protocol. BiologicalConservation 120: 507-516.Calvete, C., E. Angulo, R. Estrada, S. Moreno R. Villafuerte2005. Quarantine length and survival oftranslocated European wild rabbits. Journal ofWildlife Management 69: 1063-1072.Cottaar, F. 2005. Aantal broedparen van meeuwen ensterns in de IJmond in 2004. Fitis 41 (1): 17-25.Cottaar, F. 2006. Aantal broedparen van meeuwen ensterns in de IJmond in 2005. Fitis 42 (2): 74-81.Cowan, D.P. 1991. The availability of burrows in relationto dispersal in the wild rabbit Oryctolaguscuniculus. Symposium Zoological. Society London63: 213-230.Cowan, D.P. & P.J. Garson 1985. Variations in thesocial structure of rabbits: causes and consequences.In: R.M. Sibkey & R.H. Smith (eds.):Behavioural Ecology: ecological consequencesof adaptive behaviour: 537-555. Blackwell ScientificPublishers, Oxford, UK.Dekker, J.J.A. 2007. Rabbit, refuges and resources.PhD thesis. Wageningen Universiteit, Wageningen,the Netherlands.Delibes-Mateos, M., M. Delibes, P. Ferreras & R.Villafuerte 2008. Key role of European Rabbitsin the conservation of the western Mediterraneanbasin hotspot. Conservation Biology 22 (5): 1106-1117.Deys, W.B. 1961. De bepaling van totaal stikstof ingewasmonsters, inclusief nitraat-stikstof. IBSJaarboek 1961: 89-91. Instituut voor Biologischen Scheikundig Onderzoek van Landbouwgewassen,Wageningen, the Netherlands.Drees, J.M. & Y.J. van Manen 2005. Hoe gaat het methet konijn? SOVON Nieuws 18 (1): 12.Forrester, N.L., R.C. Trout, S.L. Turner, D. Kelly, B.Boag, S. Moss & E.A. Gould 2006. Unravellingthe paradox of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virusemergence, using phylogenetic analysis; possibleimplications for rabbit conservation strategies.Biological Conservation 131: 296-306.Gibb, J.A., A.J. White & C.P. Ward 1978. Natural controlof a population of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus(L.), for ten years in the Kourarau enclosure.DSIR Bulletin 223. New Zealand Department ofScientific and Industrial Research, Wellington,New Zealand.Griffith, B., J.M. Scott, J.W. Carpenter & C. Reed1989. Translocation as a species conservationtool: status and strategy. Science 245: 477-480.Henning, J., D.U. Pfeiffer, P.R. Davies, J. Meers &R.S. Morris 2006. Temporal dynamics of rabbithaemorrhagic disease virus infection in a lowdensitypopulation of wild rabbits (Oryctolaguscuniculus) in New Zealand. Wildlife Research33: 293-303.120 Drees et al. / Lutra 2009 52 (2): 109-122