Food and Habitat Selection of Lepus brachyurus lyoni

We determined the environmental requirements for Lepus brachyurus lyoni on Sado Island, Japan. during the winter when food resources are low Flare track survey sites were classified by vegetation type. The movement distances of hares, which indicated habitat preference, were evaluated as the relative length of tracks in a I-ha area In addition, we examined browse marks on plants and the protein content of plants to determine the preferred plant species. Movement distances of hares decreased significantly with increasing tree stand height, mean tree diameter. basal area of the tree stand, and forest canopy closure, but increased with branch-and-stem density. The percentage of browse marks Oil the branches of tree/shrub species decreased significantly with increasing branch-and-stem diameter The rate of feeding increased significantly with increased protein content in the branches These findings suggest that hares prefer shrub stands with high branch-and-stem density to mature forests. which have lower branch-and-stem densities Hares also prefer branches and stems containing large amounts of protein Young stands offering many shrub species as food resources and shelter constitute preferable environments for hare