Profitiert der Feldhase vom ökologischen Landbau?

European brown hare numbers have dramatically declined in arable land throughout Europe. Loss of food abundance and cover due to mechanisation and intensification of agriculture are suggested to be the main reasons for this decline. Organic farming should sustain higher hare densities because of better habitat quality and higher food abundance. In our study hare densities estimated during spotlight counts increased from eight hares per km² (1998) up to 55 hares (2008) per km² after conversion of the study site from conventional to organic farming. Reasons for this increase in hare density may be higher abundance of year-round forage and cover as shown by preliminary results of radio-tracking data. Organic farming sustains good habitat quality for European hares and enhances their densities. Conservation strategies should therefore promote organic farming as a management tool