Fig. 5.

Reconstructed rainfall patterns before mortality in native animals, native plants, and the European rabbit (O. cuniculus). (A) Cumulative rainfall deficit as a percentage of mean annual precipitation before mortality in birds, fish, marsupials, and other native animals outside of rabbit-infested areas. Shown are mean values of D_CDM = months of consecutive below average precipitation, D_CON = months of continuous drought, and D_SCO = months of semicontinuous drought. (B) Rainfall deficits for birds, fish, marsupials, and other native animals in months 1 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 12, and years 2 through 8 before observed mortality. The solid black line indicates the cumulative count of BIR records as a percentage of the total at each time period. (C and D) As in A and B but for native plant groups (grasses, low shrubs, tall shrubs, trees). (E and F) As in A and B but for O. cuniculus inside heavily rabbit infested areas. Data for each BIR extend back in time only to terminal D_CDM, D_CON, or D_SCO dates. The mean cumulative rainfall deficit value (y axis) can be determined for any period before the BIR observation.