SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION OF BROWN HARE LEPUS-EUROPAEUS POPULATIONS IN HABITATS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF AGRICULTURE

In 1987 - 1990 an investigation was made on the spatial structure of brown hare Lepus earopaeus Pallas, 1778 populations using the transect routes method. The investigation was carried out in two different parts of Poland that differed in the character of agriculture: I - northeastern with large fields of state farms, and II - eastcentral with small fields of individual farmers. The results indicate that independently of the agrarian structure, the distribution of hares in crops corresponds to their percentage share in the region, with exception of rape fields, which show a tendency to be avoided. There was also a significant relationship between the spatial distribution of the hare and the habitat diversity - highly variegated fields are more consistently inhabited by hares. Besides, hares show a distinct tendency to prefer areas close to the field margins. Positively oblique distance distributions between the individuals and the margins of field crops are particularly strongly expressed in the region of a highly monotonous crop species. It may be expected that a change in type of farming by passing to the large-fields and continuous cropping is one of the factors that make it difficult for the hare to utilize the space within the habitat.