Effect of land use on winter Brown hare density in southern Tuscany (Italy): considerations for farmland management

We performed a linear Multiple regression Analysis by stepwise selection in order to evaluate the effect of the habitat variables on the hare density. The relationships between hare density and rotation hay fields shows that also a relative low incidence of this crop can be very beneficial in a landscape dominated by winter cereals.THe analysis of the relationships between habitat variables and hare abundance carried out at local scale can allow to establish more effective habitat improvement programs. In particularly, the results of present study suggest that even small parches of grasses and rotation hay crops can improve hare density.