Impact of Game Crops Intensification and Hunting Management on Red-Legged Partridge

Abstract

In the French Mediterranean region, large cultivated areas have been abandoned. Matorrals (shrublands) then woodland successional stages replace the mosaic of habitats, favourable to the red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa. An agro-environmental operation, consisting of development of areas devoted to game crops, allowed the reopening of these landscapes on the studied site. This we followed by the development of a hunting plan and operation. We tested the impact of these managements on the dynamics of the red-legged partridge abundance. Our research showed that the limitation of hunting bag has a strong impact on the densities of partridge in spring, whereas habitat managements act favourably on the success of the reproduction and recruitment.

Keywords:

• Alectoris rufa Keyword: Alectoris rufa
• breeding success Keyword: breeding success
• brood size Keyword: brood size
• game crop Keyword: game crop
• habitat management Keyword: habitat management
• hunting management Keyword: hunting management
• French Mediterranean region Keyword: French Mediterranean region
• red-legged partridge Keyword: red-legged partridge
• population dynamics Keyword: population dynamics
• rural abandonment Keyword: rural abandonment

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