Ecological patterns of distribution on gradients of elevation and species diversity of snakes in southern Taiwan

Lee, Tsung Hung

doi:10.1163/156853805774408522

Amphib Reptilia

2005

DOI: 10.1163/156853805774408522

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Ecological patterns of distribution on gradients of elevation and species diversity of snakes in southern Taiwan

Tsung Hung Lee

Abstract: The study was conducted in southern Taiwan, along a road traversing the study area from 287 to 1680 m a.s.l. from May to October 2003 to investigate the distribution patterns and species diversity of the snakes. A total of 69 individual snakes belonging to 16 species were recorded. The Shannon's index and evenness index of the full study area were 2.4337 and 0.8777, respectively. Moreover, evenness index was 401 to 700 m > 1001 to 1300 m > 701 to 1000 m > 1301 to 1600 m altitudinal zone. The Shannon's index, D… Show more

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Cited by 3 publications

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“…Because of the variety of climate and ecological zones, Taiwan supports a diversity of snakes, with >50 species from 7 families, though ecological information on many snake species is still lacking (Lee , Hsiang et al ). We analyze roadkill data since 2006 from a citizen‐science project in Taiwan.…”

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Informing snake roadkill mitigation strategies in Taiwan using citizen science

2018

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Despite their prevalence in roadkill in East Asia, there has been little research on snake mortality along roads, even though the region's fauna contains some of the highest proportions of threatened or data‐deficient reptiles. We analyzed citizen‐collected roadkill data from Taiwan, comprising >11,000 records of snake roadkill from 2006–2017. We used maximum entropy environmental niche modeling to predict roadkill sighting patterns across snake species differing in habitat use, foraging behavior, and taxonomic group. Roadkill sightings were highest in low to mid‐elevation (i.e., 0–2,000 m) forests and strips of farmland or shrubland that cut through forests; these areas likely support high snake abundances or dispersal activity. Sightings were lowest in urban areas and at high elevations (i.e., >2,000 m), likely because of unfavorable habitat conditions. Road density had little influence on roadkill sightings; areas with dense roads may be of lower habitat quality and contain fewer snakes. Roadkill sighting patterns differed among snake species with different habitat use and behavior. Natural history and landscape factors should be considered in roadkill mitigation design to reduce snake roadkill effectively. We recommend the use of similar citizen‐science projects elsewhere to supplement conservation planning. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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Informing snake roadkill mitigation strategies in Taiwan using citizen science

2018

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Elevational diversity of reptiles on two Dinaric mountains

Kryštufek

Janžekovič

Donev

2008

Journal of Natural History

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Testing hypotheses on the ecological patterns of rarity using a novel model of study: snake communities worldwide

Luiselli

2006

Web Ecol.

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The theoretical and empirical causes and consequences of rarity are of central importance for both ecological theory and conservation. It is not surprising that studies of the biology of rarity have grown tremendously during the past two decades, with particular emphasis on patterns observed in insects, birds, mammals, and plants. I analyse the patterns of the biology of rarity by using a novel model system: snake communities worldwide. I also test some of the main hypotheses that have been proposed to explain and predict rarity in species. I use two operational definitions for rarity in snakes: Rare species (RAR) are those that accounted for 1% to 2% of the total number of individuals captured within a given community; Very rare species (VER) account for ≤1% of individuals captured. I analyse each community by sample size, species richness, continent, climatic region, habitat and ecological characteristics of the RAR and VER species. Positive correlations between total species number and the fraction of RAR and VER species and between sample size and rare species in general were found. As shownin previous insect studies, there is a clear trend for the percentage of RAR and VER snake species to increase in species-rich, tropical African and South American communities. This study also shows that rare species are particularly common in the tropics, although habitat type did not influence the frequency of RAR and VER species. This analysis also confirms the commonly accepted ecological hypothesis that body size and rarity are clearly and widely correlated in natural animal communities. However, in snake communities there is often an association between large and small species among the rare species, and a tendency for ophiophagous species to be rare. In addition, there was no support for the hypothesis that rare species should be typically phylogenetically primitive. The hypothesis that species with narrower realized ecological niches are more likely to be rare or very rare is supported by the evidence presented here on snake communities. In general, this study shows that snakes may make ”model organisms” for studies on the biology of rarity

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Ecological patterns of distribution on gradients of elevation and species diversity of snakes in southern Taiwan

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

Informing snake roadkill mitigation strategies in Taiwan using citizen science

Informing snake roadkill mitigation strategies in Taiwan using citizen science

Elevational diversity of reptiles on two Dinaric mountains

Testing hypotheses on the ecological patterns of rarity using a novel model of study: snake communities worldwide

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