The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is an exotic herbivorous mammal undergoing an active phase of geographical expansion in the arid ecosystems of Argentina.The Adaptive Flexibility Hypothesis states that popula...The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is an exotic herbivorous mammal undergoing an active phase of geographical expansion in the arid ecosystems of Argentina.The Adaptive Flexibility Hypothesis states that populations at the range edge(new populations)will exhibit greater fexibility in the use of resources compared with populations located in the range core(older populations).The objective of this work was to compare the rabbit’s use of spatial and trophic resources in relation to the establishment time of their populations.The sampling was carried out for 2 years(2017 and 2018)in sites with different establishment times for rabbit populations.Random sampling stratifed by type of habitat was applied using 115 fxed strip transects of 1,000 m2 laid out across the study areas.Fresh rabbit signs were recorded in each transect,and environmental and anthropic variables were measured.Our results show that the individuals from the range edge are more selective in the use of habitat than those from the range core.At the microhabitat level,we observed a pattern in the particular components of habitat use by rabbits mainly linked to food availability and proximity to water.From a trophic perspective,rabbits could show fexible adjustment to novel conditions and environments in the range edge.The variability in resource use by the European rabbit confrms its ecological fexibility,pivotal for their advance toward new environments in Argentina.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the Rufford Foundation(21499-1),Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamiferos(Osvaldo Reig Postgraduate Award 2018),Agencia Nacional de Promocion Cientifica y Tecnologica(PICT 4504/2017),and ANID PIA/BASAL FB0002.
文摘The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is an exotic herbivorous mammal undergoing an active phase of geographical expansion in the arid ecosystems of Argentina.The Adaptive Flexibility Hypothesis states that populations at the range edge(new populations)will exhibit greater fexibility in the use of resources compared with populations located in the range core(older populations).The objective of this work was to compare the rabbit’s use of spatial and trophic resources in relation to the establishment time of their populations.The sampling was carried out for 2 years(2017 and 2018)in sites with different establishment times for rabbit populations.Random sampling stratifed by type of habitat was applied using 115 fxed strip transects of 1,000 m2 laid out across the study areas.Fresh rabbit signs were recorded in each transect,and environmental and anthropic variables were measured.Our results show that the individuals from the range edge are more selective in the use of habitat than those from the range core.At the microhabitat level,we observed a pattern in the particular components of habitat use by rabbits mainly linked to food availability and proximity to water.From a trophic perspective,rabbits could show fexible adjustment to novel conditions and environments in the range edge.The variability in resource use by the European rabbit confrms its ecological fexibility,pivotal for their advance toward new environments in Argentina.
