From the time since the decline of the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus in southern Europe, various techniques and methods have been explored with a view to restoring wild rabbit populations or increasing rabbit resilience, for both conservation and game purposesRabbit restocking and habitat management are among the measures most often appliedSome efforts have been made to increase refuges for wild rabbits, mainly through the construction of artificial warrensThe present study evaluates the response of a wild rabbit population introduced to artificial warrens of varying sizesThis involves comparisons of the density of rabbits in the warrens, rabbit density change between seasons of low and high rabbit population density and the productivity index for large and small warrens in rabbit populations living under semi-natural conditionsOur results show that large warrens had higher rabbit abundance than had small warrens, but significantly lower rabbit densityNo differences in density increase or productivity index were found with respect to warren sizeThe results suggest that it is preferable to build many small warrens for conservation of wild rabbit populations, but, in the event that only a few warrens are built, it is advisable that they be large.

C. Rouco was supported by a postdoctoral grant from the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM) and the European Social Fund. Funding was provided by the projects by Confederacion Hidrografica del Guadalquivir, by the Projects CGL2005-02340/BOS, CGL2009-11665, FAU2006-0014-C-02-02, POII09-0099-2557 and PEII09-0097-436.

Peer Reviewed