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Table 1 Characteristics of the Bio-regions of the Iberian Peninsula included in the study area

From: Spatial distribution and risk factors of Brucellosis in Iberian wild ungulates

Bio-region

Environment

Wildlife

Sampling site characteristics

1.- Atlantic

Atlantic climate with high precipitation. Pastures and deciduous woodlands. Mountain habitats. Almost no fencing of wildlife habitats.

Wild boar and roe deer abundant. Locally red deer abundant. Chamois at high altitudes (Cantabrian Mts.).

N = 76. Woodlands: 62%; Agricultural lands: 33%. Altitude (in m): mean 452 (range 0-2032). Mean annual precipitations (in mm): 1284. Mean annual temperature (in °C): 12

2.- Northern-Plateau

Continental Mediterranean climate. Dry, hot summers, dry, cold winters. Open, cereal landscapes with pine or oak woodlands, limited to the north by mountains. Little fencing.

Ungulates expanding and locally abundant. Chamois limited to high altitudes in the Pyrenees. Locally ibex and fallow deer.

N = 98. Woodlands: 68%; Agricultural lands: 30%. Altitude (in m): mean 987 (range 67-3314). Mean annual precipitations (in mm): 808. Mean annual temperature (in °C): 10.5

3.- South-Central

Continental Thermo Mediterranean climate. Pastures and crops with interspersed vegetation, sometimes forming savannah-like structures. Low altitude mountains with scrubland. Frequent fencing.

Wild boar and red deer often at high density; feeding and watering. Locally abundant fallow deer and Iberian ibex, and introduced wild bovids.

N = 72. Woodlands: 68%; Agricultural lands: 29%. Altitude (in m): mean 705 (range 47-2321). Mean annual precipitations (in mm): 605. Mean annual temperature (in °C): 14.5

4.-Interior Mountains

Severe Continental Mediterranean climate. Limestone mountain and high-plateau habitats with cereal crops, pastures, and pine and oak woodlands. Little fencing.

Wild boar, roe deer, and ibex widely distributed but usually at moderate abundance. Locally abundant red deer.

N = 22. Woodlands: 71%; Agricultural lands: 29%. Altitude (in m): mean 1178 (range 248-1932). Mean annual precipitations (in mm): 568. Mean annual temperature (in °C): 11.3

5.- South and East Coast

Coastal Thermo Mediterranean climate; arid in the central portion. Few well preserved wildlife habitats (mountains). Little fencing.

Wild boar abundant in the northern and southern ends. Other ungulates locally abundant.

N = 7. Woodlands: 48%; Agricultural lands: 23%. Altitude (in m): mean 190 (range 0-1238). Mean annual precipitations (in mm): 720. Mean annual temperature (in °C): 15.7