DOI: 10.5061/dryad.fj6q57461
title: Agroecosystem quality as an essential driver of European hare (<em>Lepus europaeus</em>) population density in contrasting farmlands

description: The European hare is a rapidly declining farmland specialist, particularly
 sensitive to changes in landscape structure and agricultural management.
 Previous studies had found that agricultural landscape diversity can
 affect population densities; however, this evidence came from distant
 locations with different environmental and climatic conditions. Therefore,
 the main aim of this study was to assess the differences in European hare
 population densities between two neighboring locations (1.1 km apart) in
 Czechia, with contrasting landscape structures and compositions
 (heterogeneous vs. homogeneous study areas), and to compare these with a
 control study area featuring small-scale farming in Lower Austria. The
 European hare population densities were determined using infrared
 thermography in regular squares with fixed line transects during two
 spring monitoring periods in Czechia and one in Austria (2023–2024). We
 found significantly higher adult densities in the Czech heterogeneous
 landscape during two spring monitoring periods in 2023 and 2024 (117.3 ±
 68.1 to 179.0 ± 95.4 ind./100 ha). A comparable population density was
 found in Austria (90.6 ± 50.0 to 113.8 ± 48.6 ind./100 ha). Contrarily, we
 found an incomparably lower population density in the Czech neighboring
 homogeneous landscape (25.0 ± 29.7 to 38.3 ± 44.1 ind./100 ha) and an even
 more contrasting pattern was found for subadults and juveniles. Detected
 population density of juveniles was 7.0 ± 10.6 to 24.3 ± 24.7 ind./100 ha
 in a Czech heterogeneous landscape, 8.1 ± 10.6 to 11.9 ± 12.0 ind./100 ha
 in Austria, but only 0.4 ± 1.6 to 2.1 ± 5.6 ind./100 ha in a Czech
 homogeneous landscape, which may indicate a lower survival rate in
 homogeneous agroecosystems. Our findings, based on pair comparison of
 neighboring areas with comparable environmental and climatic factors but
 with contrasting farmland structures and agricultural practices, suggest
 that population density is primarily driven by agroecosystem quality
 (i.e., heterogeneous small-scale farmland with a higher share of
 non-agricultural vegetation).
description: # Agroecosystem quality as an essential driver of European hare (*Lepus
 europaeus*) population density in contrasting farmlands Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.fj6q57461](10.5061/dryad.fj6q57461) ## Description of the
 data and file structure The European hare is a rapidly declining farmland
 specialist, particularly sensitive to changes in landscape structure and
 agricultural management. This dataset contains population densities of the
 European hare in three study areas located in Czechia and Lower Austria.
 Our study aims to assess differences in the population density of the
 European hare in two neighboring areas in Czechia with contrasting
 agricultural practices, and then compare it to a control area in Austria
 that has a heterogeneous landscape pattern with a predominance of small
 arable fields which represents an ideal habitat for European hares. ###
 Files and variables #### File: data.xlsx **Description:** This dataset
 contains population densities of the European hare recorded in three study
 areas located in two Central European countries. The data were collected
 during two spring monitoring periods in Czechia and one in Austria
 (2023–2024) and include population densities stratified by age class
 (adult, subadult, juvenile). The dataset serves to assess differences in
 the population density of the European hare in contrasting agricultural
 landscapes. ##### Variables * country - country where the study area is
 located (Czechia, Austria) * study area - code of the study area
 (CZ_hetero/CZ_homo/AU_hetero) * year - year of data collection (2023/2024)
 * period - spring monitoring period (A/B) * age - age category of
 individuals: adult, subadutl, juvenile * square ID - unique identifier of
 the monitoring square (400 m square grid) * ind./100 ha - population
 density expressed as the number of individuals per 100 ha ## Code/software
 The dataset can be opened and viewed using Microsoft Excel or any
 compatible spreadsheet software.