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Marek Balcerak, Bartlomiej Popczyk ©
Warsaw Agricultural University, Poland
THE EFFECT OF TRENDS IN AGRICULTURE ON POPULATIONS OF BROWN HARE AND RED FOX IN CENTRAL POLAND IN YEARS 1981-2008
Abstract
The aim of the study was to describe changes in the size of population of the Brown hare and Red fox in years 1981 - 2008 in central Poland (mazovian region). Database of Polish Hunting Association and public statistics were used for calculations. The increase of values of agricultural intensity indexes was observed in the studied period. Since 1975, the number of tractors per 100 hectares grew from 1,7 to 10,3. Cereal production substantially increased (from 56,6% to 76,5%). The exclusion of arable areas from cultivation, resulted in decline of the hare population and was neutral for the growing population of the fox, that easily adapts in new conditions.
Key words: hunting economy, hare, fox, hunting statistics,
Introduction.
Arable areas, as the main mean of production, are of special importance for the national economy. The natural environment influences the level of agricultural intensity. In the past, it was the main cause of regional diversification in the intensity of managing (Manteuffel 1981). Currently, the scientific and technological progress enables the improvement in functioning and the effectiveness of the management in variable environmental conditions. The higher development of productive forces, the less important become the natural factors. In conditions of the market economy an economic factor remains essential. The level of the development of the agricultural production sector depends on the profitability of the production and remains regionally diversified in Poland. Establishing of large, highly specialized farms, the cultivation of big areas of the farmlands often causes disadvantageous environmental changes. Particularly interesting are not typically agricultural regions, but those being the subject of essential infrastructure changes. The progress in urbanization, withdrawing grounds from agricultural use, and simultaneous intensive development of remaining land have the influence on adverse quantitative changes of the populations of small game animals.
Periodical quantitative changes of the game species are the natural issue. However decreasing trends in the number of the small game animals in Poland is alarming (Wisniewski 1999). On the basis of statistical data of the Polish Hunting Association there is regional diversity in living conditions for wild animals (Budny et al. 2010). Amongst most common causes of the reduction in the headage are: health problems, an intensification of the farming, changes happening in farmland management, poachers and predators (Motyl 2007). The decrease in the population of Brown hare seems especially alarming.
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In 1960s and 1970s of the XXth century, Brown hare was the most common game animal in Poland. According to statistical data from 1970, 386.000 of hares were shot that year. Judging contemporary economic meaning of the Brown hare, it can be stated that it was the most important game animal of Polish People's Republic. Apart from the realization of the plan of shootings an exploitation of opened breeding was carried on. In 1970 altogether 77000 hares were caught alive (GUS 1986). Brown hare became the export animal, in mid-sixties they were taking out of the country about 50000 animals annually. According to the studies of the Institute of Ecology (Polish Academy of Sciences), in season 1964/1965 the statistical hunter in Poland hunted hares round about 5 times shooting even over 20 animals (Pielowski 1966). Statistical data from 2008 inform of live caught hares scarcely 163, what constitutes about 1% of population estimated on the basis of the spring quantitative state. The size of the population of the hare was assessed on 515800, whereas the shooting is being assessed scarcely as 23000 (GUS 2009).
Hares most often appear in areas with the extensive farming, with slightly diversified crops. Therefore, the intensification of farming is not favorable for hare population.
Red fox remains one of the most important enemies of the hare, very well adopting to changeable conditions of agricultural production space (Bro et al. 2000).
Task
The task of the presented study was to determine changes of the population of Brown hare and the Red fox in the Mazovian province in years 1981 - 2008. In the article an attempt of the assessment of causes of quantitative changes of the headage was taken.
Materials and methods
The analysis based on the statistical data of the Polish Hunting Association from years 1981 - 2008. In the purpose of determining changes of intensity of the crop and animal production regional statistical data from years 1975 - 2009 for the Mazovian province were used. On the basis of statistical yearbooks the number of tractors per 100 hectares, the number of animals per 100 hectares, average yields of 4 cereal crops, changes of the percentage of arable land structure and the change of the structure of sowings.
A state, acquiring the small game on the basis of annual hunting plans from districts of the present Mazovian province consider data of hunting statistics (Radom, Ciechanow, Siedlce, Warsaw, Plock and Ostrol^ka).
Results of researches
A systemic transformation in 1989 initiated the process of creating the latest model of the farming in Poland. The restructuring of the public sector meaning the fall of big specialized arable farms in many cases can be recognized as the supporting factor for ecological treating the agricultural sector. In the short time however it turned out, that to come into existence started large modern private households, of whom functioning isn't supporting ecological production and the improvement in quantitative states of the wild game.
The mechanization of the farming, the change of the agricultural production space, the intensification of the plant and animal production at modern agricultural enterprises driving noncommercial households out of business definitely aren't
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supporting the hare and remains indifferent for fox, easily adapting to new conditions and additionally immunized with vaccination against rabies.
Table 1.
Changes in Mazovian agriculture (1975-2008). __
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008
Tractors per 100 hectares 1,70 1,96 2,16 2,40 2,58 7,60 9,70 10,30
Stock headage per 100 hectares 76,48 74,80 73,02 71,65 69,75 47,60 52,90 53,20
NPK w czystym skladniku na 1 ha 152,33 152,42 150,73 154,00 151,60 76,10 78,00 115,00
Average yield of 4 cereals (dt/ha) 22,58 22,93 23,10 23,67 23,65 19,90 27,00 27,60
The share of arable land (%) 77,77 76,72 76,60 75,77 70,29 65,85 63,20 64,61
Source: GUS
Discussing Table 1, it should be noticed, that since 1975 the level of the mechanization of the Mazovian farming increased significantly. In mid-seventies on 100 hectares of the farmlands it was 1,7 tractors. The radical improvement took place after integration with the European Union. In 2008 on 100 hectares of the farmlands 10,3 tractors were used.
Applying machines influences changes of the agricultural production space. It forces (particularly in households intensifying production) proper management (mowing baulks and creating appropriate conditions of maneuverings of the equipment). The increase of the mechanization isn't supporting the small game and the maintenance of settlements correcting the offset we are reducing the possibility of living of some animals.
Since 1970s, a headage of animals was lowered, but intensity of the production definitely grew in special households. Fertilizing on level 115 NPK isn't supporting living of wild populations. Average crops (approx. 28 dt/ha) can't be considered high, but the slight improvement can be noticed.
In the agricultural grounds structure, a share of arable land had decreased from 77% in 1975 to 68% in 2008 (GUS). The part of the agricultural production space peculiarly in surroundings of cities will be reclassified to investment areas. The urbanization isn't supporting the wild game.
A structure of sowings shows a substantial increase in the share of cereal crops of approx. 56,6% to 75,4% in 2008. Currently, cultivation of cereals limited to 65% of arable lands means the greater mechanization of the crop production (GUS). Polish hunting grounds in the context of recruiting and the quantitative state of the wild game changed substantially since the beginning of 1970s. The situation of the large game is well. From mid-eighties the recruiting of the wild boar and the fallow deer increased.
In the small game we observe the opposite tendency. Due to effective outdoor and indoor breeding, an improvement in quantitative states is possible. Effective introductions are giving satisfying effects in the case of the assurance for animals of appropriate living conditions. The adaptation and the development of environment-
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sensitive species is currently becoming the problem. Appealing to states of the small game from seventies we often forget how habitats have changed for animals adapting to changes and those, who react with the decrease of quantitative states. It is difficult to give one cause of the limitation of appearing of the given species.
Quantitative changes presented in the Table 2 and hunting bags of individual game species indicate the increase of Red fox population. Distinct growth can be observed up to year 2006. In 1981 the amount of predators on the area of Masovia was assessed scarcely as 5090. 1658 foxes were hunted, which is approx. 33%. In the year 2008, 13823 foxes were hunted (67% reduction in population). According to Kamieniarz and Panek (2008), amount of the fox is from 2 to 4 specimens on 1000 hectares. Domestic average in Poland is approx. 8 per 1000 hectares (in central Poland approx. 7). Nevertheless the height of intensity of shootings of the fox is enhancing chances of the reconstruction of the population of the Brown hare.
Table 2.
The population size and the hunting bag of Red fox and Brown hare in _Mazovian district (1981-2008).__
year Red fox Brown hare year Red fox Brown hare
hunting amount hunting amount hunting. amount hunting amount
1981 1658 5090 25319 187472 1995 2858 6672 32758 120741
1982 2453 4803 49114 195232 1996 2205 6542 23178 96464
1983 2256 4893 68972 219116 1997 2408 7519 22163 91546
1984 2369 4752 52786 210433 1998 3703 9170 26909 95474
1985 2506 4948 48902 200074 1999 4515 10359 23737 103225
1986 2620 4931 43468 183896 2000 5484 12884 19672 89268
1987 3583 5434 33890 167378 2001 6351 12617 19876 89016
1988 2803 5201 45642 174838 2002 9522 16341 21946 98765
1989 2632 5111 47552 183452 2003 10181 17905 11981 95677
1990 2312 4774 43425 166597 2004 11812 19515 8753 91530
1991 2032 4793 46860 174099 2005 14499 22014 8415 97292
1992 1997 4697 50414 173382 2006 14952 23371 4507 96427
1993 1900 5071 42887 158541 2007 13829 21055 5623 89151
1994 2187 5745 40919 141209 2008 13823 20573 4118 95536
Source ZG PZL
In the case of the Brown hare in the analyzed period we observe distinct decrease. A drastic limitation of hares shows is the first mid-nineties (Table 2). The population decrease from 166597 (1990) to 96464 (1996) could be caused by the change of living conditions. The hunting is compensated with introductions program. Amount of introduced animals since 1997 increases. In 2008 in the Mazovian province 171 hares were released. One should however recognize insufficient these treatments in the relation to needs.
Conclusions
The mechanization of the Mazovian farming, changes of the agricultural production space, the intensification of the plant and animal production at modern agricultural enterprises driving households out of business the non commercial farms is not supporting the Brown hare population, remains indifferent for quickly adapting
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to new conditions and additionally immunized with vaccination against rabies of the Red fox.
The increase of the amount of tractors to more than 10 per 100 hectares, high amounts of artificial fertilizers applied in the crop production (115 kg/hectare), the reduction in the share of the farmlands in the structure of using the land (to 64,6%), the increase of importance of the cereal crops influences for the reduction in quantitative states of habitat-sensitive Brown hare.
Since 1981 the hunting of the hare in central Poland decreased from approx. 25319 to 4118. However a shooting of the fox increased from 1658 to 13823 in 2008.
The introduction of the hare can support the population number. Many factors had the influence on the slump of the population of the small game since 1992 (changes in the farming, pressure of predators, illness), who altogether led the population of Brown hare to the lowest level.
References:
1.Bro E., Reitz F., Colbert J., Mayot P., 2000. Nesting success of grey partridges (Perdix perdix) on agricultural land in Nord-Central France. Game and Wildlife Science 17, 199-218.
2.Budny M. Kamieniarz R. Kolanos B. Maka H. Panek M. 2010. Sytuacja zwierz^t lownych w Polsce w latach 2008-2009. Czempin
3.GUS 1976-2009, Roczniki Statystyczne, GUS Warszawa.
4.Kamieniarz R, Panek M., 2008. Zwierz^ta lowne w Polsce na przelomie XX i XXIw PZL Czempin.
5.Manteuffel R, 1981. Ekonomika i organizacja gospodarstwa rolniczego. PWRiL, Warszawa.
6.Motyl T., 2007. Stan zwierzyny drobnej w obwodach lowieckich warszawskiego okr^gu PZL. Nauka lowiectwu, Kryzys zwierzyny drobnej i sposoby przeciwdzialania. Samorz^d Wojewodztwa Mazowieckiego Warszawa, 7-13.
7.Pielowski Z., 1966. Zaj^c PWRiL Warszawa.
8.Wisniewski G. 1999, Ogolna ocena sytuacji zwierzyny drobnej-wprowadzenie do konferencji-na podstawie danych w skali kraju, w porownaniu z sytuacja na terenie wojewodztwa wloclawskiego (kujawy wschodnie i ziemia dobrzynska) w Zwierzyna drobna jako element bioroznorodnosci srodowiska przyrodniczego pod redakj Kubiaka S. WTN Wloclawek. 23-36.
Summary
In the article changes of the population of the hare and fox were assessed in central Poland in years 1981-2008. Analysis of statistical data demonstrated reducing the population of the hare around 187472 to 95536, and the increase of the amount of the fox from 5090 to 20573. Increasing the amount of wild living foxes is supporting a downward trend shown from the beginning of the nineties. However the plan of hunting is not intense enough to reduce the population size, currently counting about 200000. The increase in mechanization and the intensity of rural production lowers the effectiveness of the introduction program.
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