Influence of age, habitat elevation, and distance to a thermal power plant on pathomorphological findings in the European brown hare (Lepuseuropaeus P.)

Figures & data

Table 1. Participation (%) share of diseased hares by type of changes in the observed organs*.

Organ	Type of histopathological change**
	1	2	3	4	5	1 & 2	1 & 4	2 & 4
Intestines	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
Liver	44.26	–	–	24.59	–	–	31.15	–
Lungs	–	4.48	–	73.13	–	1.49	–	20.90
Heart	34.62	15.38	–	42.31	–	7.69	–	–
Kidney	69.49	–	–	13.56	–	–	16.95	–
Spleen	9.52	–	76.19	–	14.29	–	–	–
Brain	88.24	5.88	–	5.88	–	–	–	–

* The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold; **1 – degeneration; 2 – circulatory disturbance; 3 – growth and development disorders; 4 – inflammation; 5 – neoplastic changes.

Table 2. Involvement of changes in the organs of hares of different ages and significance level of differences between age groups.

Organ	Hares with changes (%)*		Fisher’s exact test (p)
	Up to 1 year (younger)	Above 1 year (older)
Intestines	14.63	15.00	>0.999
Liver	73.17	75.00	>0.999
Lungs	85.37	77.50	0.404
Heart	36.59	27.50	0.477
Kidney	63.41	80.00	0.139
Spleen	31.71	20.00	0.312
Brain	17.07	25.00	0.424

* The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold.

Table 3. Participation (%) share of hares of different ages according to the type of organ changes*.

Organ	Age	Type of histopathological change**
		1	2	3	4	5	1 & 2	1 & 4	2 & 4
Intestines	younger	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
	older	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
Liver	younger	46.87	–	–	15.63	–	–	37.50	–
	older	41.38	–	–	34.48	–	–	24.14	–
Lungs	younger	–	5.41	–	75.67	–	–	–	18.92
	older	–	–	–	73.33	–	3.33	–	23.33
Heart	younger	33.33	6.67	–	53.33	–	6.67	–	–
	older	27.27	27.27	–	36.36	–	9.09	–	–
Kidney	younger	75.00	–	–	10.71	–	–	14.29	–
	older	67.74	–	–	12.90	–	–	19.35	–
Spleen	younger	7.69	–	69.23	–	23.08	–	–	–
	older	12.50	–	87.50	–	–	–	–	–
Brain	younger	87.50	–	–	12.50	–	–	–	–
	older	88.89	11.11	–	–	–	–	–	–

*The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold; **1 – degeneration; 2 – circulatory disturbance; 3 – growth and development disorders; 4 – inflammation; 5 – neoplastic changes.

Table 4. Participation of changes in the organs of hares from different terrains and level of significance of differences between the terrain.

Organ	Hares with changes (%)*		Fisher’s exact test (p)**
	Hilly terrain	Plain terrain
Intestines	25.71	6.38	0.024
Liver	80.00	70.21	0.444
Lungs	97.14	70.21	0.001
Heart	48.57	19.15	0.008
Kidney	74.29	70.21	0.805
Spleen	25.71	24.53	>0.999
Brain	20.00	21.28	>0.999

* The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold; **bolded p-values are statistically significant.

Table 5. Participation (%) share of hares from different terrains by type of organ changes*.

Organ	Terrain	Type of histopathological change**
		1	2	3	4	5	1 & 2	1 & 4	2 & 4
Intestines	Hilly	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
	Plain	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
Liver	Hilly	42.86	–	–	21.43	–	–	35.71	–
	Plain	45.46	–	–	27.27	–	–	27.27	–
Lungs	Hilly	–	2.94	–	64.71	–	2.94	–	29.41
	Plain	–	6.06	–	81.82	–	–	–	12.12
Heart	Hilly	35.29	11.77	–	52.94	–	–	–	–
	Plain	33.33	22.22	–	22.22	–	22.22	–	–
Kidney	Hilly	76.92	–	–	11.54	–	–	11.54	–
	Plain	63.64	–	–	15.15	–	–	21.21	–
Spleen	Hilly	–	–	77.78	–	22.22	–	–	–
	Plain	16.67	–	75.00	–	8.33	–	–	–
Brain	Hilly	71.43	14.29	–	14.29	–	–	–	–
	Plain	100.00	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

* The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold; **1 – degeneration; 2 – circulatory disturbance; 3 – growth and development disorders; 4 – inflammation; 5 – neoplastic changes.

Table 6. Participation of changes in the organs of hares from terrains near and far from thermal power plant (TPP) and levels of significance of differences between the locations.

Organ	Hares with changes (%)*		Fisher’s exact test (p)
	Near to TPP	Far from TPP
Intestines	7.69	17.86	0.322
Liver	61.54	80.36	0.102
Lungs	80.77	82.14	>0.999
Heart	19.23	37.50	0.128
Kidney	65.38	75.00	0.432
Spleen	19.23	28.57	0.426
Brain	15.38	23.21	0.562

* The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold.

Table 7. Participation (%) share of hares from areas close and far from TPP by types of organ changes*.

Organ	Location	Type of histopathological change**
		1	2	3	4	5	1 & 2	1 & 4	2 & 4
Intestines	Near	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
	Far	–	–	–	100.00	–	–	–	–
Liver	Near	25.00	–	–	50.00	–	–	25.00	–
	Far	51.11	–	–	15.56	–	–	33.33	–
Lungs	Near	–	–	–	85.71	–	–	–	14.29
	Far	–	6.52	–	67.39	–	2.17	–	23.91
Heart	Near	40.00	40.00	–	–	–	20.00	–	–
	Far	33.33	9.52	–	52.38	–	4.76	–	–
Kidney	Near	70.59	–	–	11.76	–	–	17.65	–
	Far	71.43	–	–	11.90	–	–	16.67	–
Spleen	Near	40.00	–	60.00	–	–	–	–	–
	Far	–	–	81.25	–	18.75	–	–	–
Brain	Near	100.00	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	Far	84.62	7.69	–	7.69	–	–	–	–

* The value of the most frequent change for each organ is bold; **1 – degeneration; 2 – circulatory disturbance; 3 - growth and development disorders; 4 – inflammation; 5 - neoplastic changes.

Figure 1. Location of hunting grounds in relation to thermal power plants: a large map shows the location of thermal power plants and hunting grounds in Serbia (framed part) in relation to neighboring countries; the small map represents an enlarged, framed part of the large map, with a scale that provides information about the distance between thermal power plants (TPP - black dots), hunting grounds near the TPP - red dots and hunting grounds located at a greater distance from the TPP - white dots (source of the map: https://www.openstreetmap.org/about).