Seven Year Decline of Mountain Hare Abundance in the Peak District, England.

ABSTRACT: In England, the mountain hare is found only in the Peak District and is a remnant population surviving from translocations from Scotland during the 1870s of the genetically distinct subspecies Lepus timidus scoticus. Population monitoring undertaken by Manchester Metropolitan University and Queen's University Belfast began in 2017, continuing to 2021. Subsequently, monitoring was conducted by Natural England during 2022-2024, reporting for two sites, Bleaklow and Margery Hill, previously shown to have the highest densities of mountain hares. Standardised survey and analytical techniques remained identical to previous monitoring, enabling evaluation of change in absolute estimates of hare density from 2017 to 2024. Using distance sampling analysis, results showed a statistically sign

SUBMITTER: Bedson CPE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11917130 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature