Abstract
Intensification of agriculture and land consolidation policy induced the removal of most natural features from farmland, reducing the habitat of many wild species. Abandoned WWII bunkers, unaffected by land consolidation, are a potential shelter for wildlife and could be used as burrows by carnivores such as European badgers and red foxes.
We explored 182 abandoned bunkers in a farmland area in eastern France in summer 2016. Bunkers were located in crops, forests, or groves. Over a three-month period, signs of presence, the number and type of burrows inside the bunkers and in their immediate vicinity were noted. Environmental variables were obtained using GIS, and binomial models were created to reveal parameters influencing bunker use by badgers and foxes. The degree of bunkers burrowing was used as a co-variable. Twenty-one groves without bunkers were also studied in order to estimate the added value of bunkers in groves.
Badger and fox tracks were found on 34% of the sites, and burrows on 24% of them with similar rates for badgers and foxes. Animals used partially buried bunkers more than underground or overground bunkers. The sizes of annual crops and urban areas around the bunker were positively correlated with bunker use. The presence of a bunker in groves was positively correlated with the presence of burrows in groves.
As bunkers were widely used by badgers and foxes, they may improve conservation in intensive farming landscapes. We recommend the management of these ruins to facilitate the sustainable installation of a variety of species.
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We thank all the students who participated in this study and the anonymous reviewers for their comments on the previous version of this manuscript. We also thank Joanna Lignot and Lana Petrod for the English editing.
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All authors approve this version of the manuscript. They agree to be accountable for the aspects of the work that they conducted, and will ensure that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of their work are appropriately investigated and resolved. JJ conceived the idea and design methodology; JJ, DW, NG and LG collected the data; JJ and LG carried out data analysis; JJ, YH and FB organised the writing of the manuscript. All authors played an active part in the drafting of the manuscript and gave their final approval for publication.
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This study was conducted though the CERISE project research and was funded by the French Minister of Ecology (DREAL Alsace) and the Departmental Council of the Bas-Rhin (CD67). They had no role in the study design, writing, collection, analysis and interpretation of data. They agree to the publication of this study.
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Jumeau, J., Wolf, D., Guthmann, L. et al. The use of military bunkers by the European badger and red fox in Western Europe. Urban Ecosyst 21, 395–403 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-017-0721-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-017-0721-y