What is ICTS-RBD in Doñana?

ICTS-RBD is a scientific large-scale facility providing research support and cutting-edge biodiversity monitoring systems at the heart of one of the most important protected areas in Europe: Doñana National and Natural Park

Research Activities

At the Research Coordination Office all scientific activities are stored in database; projects, publications, conferences, PhD dissertations, ..ntained. References range from scientific papers and technical reports to popular books and legislation.

Monitoring at ICTS-RBD

The need to understand the inherent variability of natural systems, led to the creation of a long term monitoring program in Doñana, aimed at creating series of essential data of both physical and biological parameters

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The Iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) in Doñana increases in scrub areas and becomes more nocturnal after the population decline of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

June 2022

Competition, predation, and diseases are key factors shaping animal communities. In recent decades, lagomorphs in Europe have been impacted by virus-borne diseases that have caused substantial declines in their populations and, subsequently, in many of their predators. We examined activity and habitat-use patterns of sympatric European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus; Photo by F. Carro) and Iberian hares (Lepus granatensis; Cover photo by F. Carro) in Doñana National Park, (DNP) during two periods of disease outbreak.

In the first period (1984–1985), fecal pellet counts and roadside counts indicated that lagomorph species were segregated, with rabbits occurring in scrublands and hares in marshlands.  Both species also occupied rush and fern belt ecotones. Roadside counts at sunrise, midday, sunset, and midnight revealed that rabbits and hares had the same activity patterns (crepuscular and nocturnal) in the zone of sympatry. During the second period (2005–2016), roadside counts showed that rabbits and hares were mainly nocturnal in scrublands and border marshlands. Hares occupied scrublands, a habitat previously occupied only by rabbits. These results are interpreted in the context of the competition theory and predation pressure. The disease-caused decline of rabbits has likely favored hares that moved into scrublands, a vegetation type previously occupied exclusively by rabbits.

The decline of rabbits in DNP has also caused the almost disappearance of this area of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), a rabbit specialist, thus enabling generalist predators to increase. Generalist predators have subsequently increased predation pressure on both rabbits and hares, causing them to switch to nocturnal activity. This study has been recently published in the land journal and can be found in the following link, https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/4/461.



 

Start a project

If you plan to do research in Doñana, you must bear in mind that your project must be approved by the Research Access Commission of the Doñana Participation Council. The ICTS-RBD provides assistance throughout the procedure. Read more

Request access, accommodation and/or technical and logistic support

Once your research project has been approved by ICTS-RBD, you can request access and accomodation in the Biological Reserve using this online form and/or logistic or technical support using this online form . Do not forget to read carefully the facilities’ use rules. Read more

Request biodiversity data

Raw data requests are made via the following application . In addition, it is possible to visualize ICTS-RBD biodiversity monitoring data at the Data Infrastructure and access essential ecosystem indicators at the Global Change Observatory. 

Bird Ringing Lab

The Bird Ringing Lab is a service of ICTS-RBD that centralizes all scientific ringing activities undertaken in Doñana, and coordinates non-metallic bird banding in Spain. Read More