caa a22 4500 606164855 CHVBK 20210128100650.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20151001xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10144-015-0510-5 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10144-015-0510-5 Can widespread generalist predators affect keystone prey? A case study with red foxes and European rabbits in their native range [Elektronische Daten] [Javier Fernandez-de-Simon, Francisco Díaz-Ruiz, Manuel Rodríguez-de la Cruz, Miguel Delibes-Mateos, Rafael Villafuerte, Pablo Ferreras] Widespread generalist predators may affect declining keystone prey populations. However, this phenomenon is not well understood. In this paper, we assessed whether the abundance and population growth of European rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, a keystone prey species in Mediterranean Iberia, was related to the abundance and diet of red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, a widespread generalist predator. In a locality in central Spain, where rabbit population abundance declined, we estimated rabbit abundance during almost 3years and determined fox abundance and diet during two concurrent years. We calculated a fox predation index (percentage of consumed rabbit biomass×fox abundance) to assess the importance of rabbits to foxes. We employed a multi-model approach to explain rabbit abundance and population growth. Foxes consumed between 60 and 99% rabbit biomass in their diets, and this was independent of rabbit abundance. Periods of higher fox predation index coincided with lower rabbit density and vice versa. Two models best explained rabbit abundance and four rabbit population growth. They included the fox predation index and its interaction with rabbit abundance during the previous month. Altogether, fox predation, intraspecific density dependence, and their interaction partly explained rabbit population dynamics. We conclude that in order to propel the recovery of the rabbit in Iberia, it is essential to better understand the role of these factors in driving the abundance of the species. The Society of Population Ecology and Springer Japan, 2015 Diet nationallicence Intraspecific density dependence nationallicence Oryctolagus cuniculus nationallicence Predator control nationallicence Prey limitation nationallicence Vulpes vulpes nationallicence Fernandez-de-Simon Javier Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut Díaz-Ruiz Francisco Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut Rodríguez-de la Cruz Manuel Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut Delibes-Mateos Miguel Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut Villafuerte Rafael Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut Ferreras Pablo Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut Population Ecology Springer Japan 57/4(2015-10-01), 591-599 1438-3896 57:4<591 2015 57 10144 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-015-0510-5 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-015-0510-5 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Fernandez-de-Simon Javier Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Díaz-Ruiz Francisco Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Rodríguez-de la Cruz Manuel Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Delibes-Mateos Miguel Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Villafuerte Rafael Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Ferreras Pablo Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo nº 12, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Population Ecology Springer Japan 57/4(2015-10-01), 591-599 1438-3896 57:4<591 2015 57 10144