ABSTRACT: The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus faces a paradoxical situation in its native range on the Iberian Peninsula. While many populations have declined sharply due to a new variant of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV-b), others remain healthy. The latter populations, which flourish mostly on farmland, cause significant crop damage. We explored if this difference could be related to the existence of the 2 rabbit subspecies (O. c. algirus and O. c. cuniculus) that coexist allopatrically on the Iberian Peninsula. Potential differences in population trends between rabbit subspecies may also be relevant in assisting the conservation of endangered rabbit-dependent predators which mainly occur in the distribution area of O. c. algirus. To test this, we assessed rabbit trends after the outbreak of RHDV-b by an online questionnaire to the senior administrative officers of all provincial official game departments throughout peninsular Spain (n = 47). A generalized negative trend was reported by officers in the distribution area of O. c. algirus, while a more stable or even positive trend was reported in the distribution area of O. c. cuniculus. We point to the need for establishing a long-term rabbit population monitoring programme on the Iberian Peninsula to further confirm the observed patterns, but also to contribute to evidence-based management decision-making. Our results suggest a need to apply different management systems for each rabbit subspecies.

中文翻译：

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濒临灭绝的欧洲兔子在伊比利亚半岛被视为害虫的悖论：亚种趋势至关重要

摘要：欧洲兔子穴兔在伊比利亚半岛的本土范围内面临着一种自相矛盾的情况。尽管由于兔出血性疾病病毒（RHDV-b）的新变异，许多种群急剧下降，但其他种群仍保持健康。后者主要在农田上繁衍，造成严重的农作物损失。我们探讨了这种差异是否与伊比利亚半岛上异地共存的2种兔亚种（O. c。algirus和C. cuniculus）的存在有关。兔子亚种之间种群趋势的潜在差异也可能有助于保护濒临灭绝的依赖兔子的捕食者，这些捕食者主要发生在该物种的分布地区。。阿尔及尔。为了测试这一点，我们通过在线调查问卷评估了RHDV-b爆发后兔子的趋势，调查问卷遍及西班牙半岛所有省级官方比赛部门的高级行政官员（n = 47）。据报告，在O. c的分布地区，军官普遍呈消极趋势。阿尔及利亚，而在O. c。的分布区域报道了更稳定甚至积极的趋势。刺柏。我们指出有必要在伊比利亚半岛建立长期的兔子种群监测计划，以进一步确认观察到的模式，同时也有助于基于证据的管理决策。我们的结果表明需要对每个兔子亚种应用不同的管理系统。