The conservation ecology of the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) Reid, N. (2006). The conservation ecology of the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus). Queen's University Belfast. Queen's University Belfast - Research Portal: Link to publication record in Queen's University Belfast Research Portal General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Queen's University Belfast Research Portal is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The Research Portal is Queen's institutional repository that provides access to Queen's research output. Every effort has been made to ensure that content in the Research Portal does not infringe any person's rights, or applicable UK laws. If you discover content in the Research Portal that you believe breaches copyright or violates any law, please contact [email protected]. Download date:30. Sep. 2021 CONSERVATION ECOLOGY OF THE IRISH HARE ( Lepus timidus hibernicus ) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Queen’s University Belfast Neil Reid BSc (Hons) Zoology September 2006 ii DECLARATION This document is a modified copy of a thesis submitted to the Queen’s University of Belfast and is not an exact reproduction. Some chapters have been replaced with manuscripts accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals to ensure that the information presented here is consistent with that released into the public domain. I declare that the work contained within this document was carried out in accordance with the regulations of the Queen’s University Belfast and complies with the criteria required by the Academic Council as follows: (i) the thesis is not one for which a degree has been or will be conferred by any other university or institution. (ii) the thesis is not one for which a degree has already been conferred by Queen’s. (iii) the work for the thesis is my own and that, where material submitted for another degree or work undertaken by another party as part of a research group has been incorporated into the thesis, the extent of that work thus incorporated has been clearly indicated. (iv) the composition of the thesis is the candidate’s own work (v) any views expressed in the thesis are those of the author and in no way represent those of the Queen’s University Belfast. Neil Reid Date 15/09/2006 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to my supervisor Prof. W. Ian Montgomery for his guidance, advice and continual encouragement. I am also indebted to Dr. Robbie McDonald for his statistical advice and support throughout the project and to Prof. Robert Elwood and Dr. Stuart Bearhop for comments on manuscripts. The project was funded by the Environment and Heritage Service (DOE, NI), under project code CON 2/1(150). Fieldwork was possible only with help and I am thankful to all those who enthusiastically participated. Particular thanks go to my father, Noel Reid and colleagues, Mathieu Lundy, Andrew Harrison, Clare Aughey, Paul Lynas, Iain Adderton, Marc Ruddock, Alan Harrison and Gillian Robb. Thanks also to Rory Finlay. I am also grateful to David Tosh and Karina Dingerkus for help with transcribing and collating gamebag records. Thanks also to the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), in particular Jerry Desmond, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (DOEHLG, Republic of Ireland) for providing official ICC records. I am also indebted to Patrick Daly and the members of the Dungannon Coursing Club for advice, help and encouragement during netting operations. Thanks to Alan Parks and Eric Parkes and the farmers of Drumahean, South Armagh for allowing free access to their land. Finally, I would like to pay particular thanks to Mathieu Lundy, Andrew Harrison and Alan Harrison for their advice and most importantly friendship throughout. iv CONTENTS Title page ……………………………………………………………..……. i Declaration ………………………………………………………..……….. iii Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………..…. iv Contents ……………………………………………………………….…... v Summary ………….…………………………………………………. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction ………………………………………………. 2 Chapter 2 The historical status and population dynamics of the Irish hare .………………………………. 20 Chapter 3 Factors associated with hare mortality during coursing ……………….…………………………… 38 Chapter 4 Naturalisation of brown hares in Ireland: A threat to the Irish hare? ………………………………… 53 Chapter 5 Habitat heterogeneity and home ranging behaviour of the Irish hare ………………………………… 71 Chapter 6 Mammals and agri-environment schemes: Hare haven or pest paradise? …………………………….. 92 Chapter 7 General discussion, conclusions & recommendations ……………………………………… 108 References …………………………………………………………….. 116 Appendices …………………………………………………………….. 135 Population estimation of Irish hares in Northern Ireland ……………………………………….. 137 v SUMMARY Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus ) population declines may have been initiated by changes in land management practices and agricultural intensification during the early 20 th century. Irish hare population dynamics demonstrate substantial interannual and multiannual population fluctuation with a decadal anti-cycle periodicity. Annual population growth may be influenced by both intrinsic delayed density dependence and extrinsic climatic factors. Analysis of hare coursing activity during the last 20 years indicates that measures taken by the Irish Coursing Club to mitigate the impact of its activity on hare welfare has reduced hare mortality significantly. Current mortality rates are negligible and it is unlikely that hare coursing has a negative effect on Irish hare populations. Introduced Brown hares (Lepus europaeus ) have successfully naturalised in Northern Ireland with populations present in Mid-Ulster and West Tyrone. Brown and Irish hares may have a strong interspecific competitive relationship as their ecological niches are similar and overlap considerably. Where brown hare populations have established they have usurped a proportion of the native Irish hare population. Brown hares may pose a potential threat to Irish hare populations in the future. Seasonal radiotracking indicates that habitat heterogeneity is important to Irish hares. Hares used improved grasslands during crepuscular and nocturnal periods and Juncus-dominated pasture during diurnal periods, suggesting that hares require habitats that provide both high quality forage and shelter and cover. Current conservation strategies, such as the Northern Ireland and all-Ireland Irish hare Species Action Plans (SAPs) rely on the success of agri-environment schemes to enhance suitable hare habitat to achieve their goal of increasing hare populations by 2010. Current research indicates that agri-environment scheme measures have had no effect on hare incidence or abundance, suggesting that without the introduction of a specific Irish hare measure they are unlikely to provide suitable mechanisms to achieve conservation objectives. 1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction 1.1 Conservation ecology Conservation is a relatively new concept developed during the late 20 th century (Soulé, 1985), based on concerns that the biosphere is being profoundly and adversely affected by its >6 billion human inhabitants (Vitousek, 1997). Increasing public awareness concerning environmental issues surrounding ecological degradation such as biodiversity loss, species declines and extinctions associated with habitat destruction, overexploitation, pollution, and global warming have resulted in increased political sensitivity to environmental concerns. Conservation as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is “the preservation or restoration of the natural environment and wildlife”, whilst ecology is “the branch of biology concerned with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical environment”. The study of ecological interactions is central in informing conservation strategies leading to the emergence of a new discipline: conservation ecology . The preservation of ‘naturalness’ by the retention of biotic diversity has been the cornerstone of traditional conservation, but the difficulty in defining ‘natural’ with respect to human activities has resulted in the emergence of two complementary conservation philosophies (Callicott et al. , 1999; Angermeier, 2000). Compostionalism encompasses ecological concepts such as biological diversity, biological integrity and ecological restoration, whilst functionalism includes human interests such as sustainable development, ecological sustainability and ecosystem health (Callicott et al , 1999). Conservation strategies have been dominated by compositionalist approaches often involving the preservation of charismatic species (via charities such as the World Wildlife Fund) and pristine wilderness (via organisations such as the Wilderness Society). However, contemporary strategies have moved towards holistic functionalist approaches. It is now recognised widely that the synthesis of both philosophical concepts is essential as neither can effectively proceed in isolation (Meine, 1992; Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1997; Callicott et al , 1999). Nonetheless, many conservation strategies still centre on iconic flagship species or taxa of public and political concern e.g. Species Action Plans. The subject of this thesis is one such species: the Irish hare ( Lepus timidus hibernicus Bell, 1837). 3 Chapter 1