Hopping Back into Balance: The Effect of Dry Springs on Thuringia's Field Hares
Scarce spring rain benefits Thuringia's leverets in fields - Abundant Dryness Aids Wild Brown Hares of Thuringia
Welcome springtime in Thuringia with more adorable leapers on your fields! According to the Environment Ministry's statistics, the hare population has slightly climbed uphill over the last five years, despite a few rollercoaster moments. In the spring of 2022, nearly ten field hares could be spotted per 100 hectares, with over 13 in the autumn. However, the story's a bit gloomier when we peek into 2023, with a significantly lower six field hares per 100 hectares in the spring and a springy seven in the autumn - the lowest figures since five years.
However, spring is the season that the vivacious field hare pays the greatest attention to. This bundle of fluff is considered as the Easter's lucky charm. Youngsters typically thrive better under warmer, dry conditions. Unfortunately, March in Thuringia took a backseat compared to other regions, averaging a temperature of 5.4 degrees Celsius and 18 liters of precipitation per square meter - not quite the arid ponderosa we hoped for. Boo.
A glance at the 2023 count reveals that our furry friend's numbers dropped considerably in Thuringia compared to the national average. Avoid the highway, as road accidents also claim their fair share of these fuzzy pac-mans.
"The field hare still flags a red alert in Thuringia," stated Nabu Thuringia spokesman Jürgen Ehrhardt. Although the population has nudged upwards in recent years, it's still a far cry from the bucolic scenes of yesteryears.
Nabu voices its concerns over the loss of habitats
"The field hare's playground is getting smaller due to intensive agriculture, landscape fragmentation, and habitat loss," lamented Ehrhardt. "To bring back the field hare, we need more idle lands, field edges, hedges, and a transition to more extensive farming." A lavish dawn of food sources and safe havens could not only benefit hares but also the skylarks, meadow pipits, bees, and other invertebrate folk.
Surveyors march the fields at night to count the field hare grazing in 16 reference regions in Thuringia, using standardized lights in the spring and autumn.
Back to the biome, it seems that our field hare buns bear the brunt of similar challenges common in Europe, including habitat fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and climate change. To counteract these pressures, adopting agri-environmental schemes, establishing ecological corridors, researching and monitoring populations, engaging communities, and advocating for wildlife-friendly policies can undoubtedly paint a better picture for the future of our local hare buddies.
- Despite the slight increase in the hare population over the last five years in Thuringia, the spring of 2023 saw the lowest figures of field hares since then, possibly due to the cooler and wetter conditions in March.
- The Nabu Thuringia spokesman, Jürgen Ehrhardt, expressed concern over the loss of habitats for field hares, stating that the decrease in their numbers is a result of intensive agriculture, landscape fragmentation, and habitat loss.
- To help conserve the field hare population in Thuringia, Ehrhardt suggested a transition to more extensive farming, which would provide more idle lands, field edges, hedges, and help preserve other wildlife such as skylarks, meadow pipits, bees, and invertebrates.
