Factors Affecting the Presence and Abundance of Amphibians, Reptiles, and Small Mammals under Artificial Cover in Southern California

Lemm, Jeffrey M.; Tobler, Mathias W.

doi:10.1655/herpetologica-d-20-00034.1

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Our results add to other recent eDNA applications for terrestrial reptiles, which collectively advance a promising avenue of research with the potential to reduce field time and support global monitoring efforts to gain accurate threat classification and recovery investments aimed at vulnerable terrestrial reptile species. Given that cover objects are regularly used in surveys of terrestrial amphibians (Marsh & Goicochea, 2003 ) and small terrestrial mammals (Lemm & Tobler, 2021 ), the benefits of adopting an eDNA‐enabled cover object survey may extend to these taxa as well. However, like conventional surveys, any use of eDNA‐enabled cover object surveys will require tailoring methods to match research questions, the local environment, and the natural history of the target species (Hampton, 2009 ; Hoare et al., 2009 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining surface and soil environmental DNA with artificial cover objects to improve terrestrial reptile survey detection

Kyle

Allen

Dragon

et al. 2022

Conservation Biology

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Reptiles are increasingly of conservation concern due to their susceptibility to habitat loss, emerging disease, and harvest in the wildlife trade. However, reptile populations are often difficult to monitor given the frequency of crypsis in their life history. This difficulty has left uncertain the conservation status of many species and the efficacy of conservation actions unknown. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys consistently elevate the detection rate of species they are designed to monitor, and while their use is promising for terrestrial reptile conservation, successes in developing such surveys have been sparse. We tested the degree to which inclusion of surface and soil eDNA sampling into conventional artificial‐cover methods elevates the detection probability of a small, cryptic terrestrial lizard, Scincella lateralis. The eDNA sampling of cover object surfaces with paint rollers elevated per sample detection probabilities for this species 4–16 times compared with visual surveys alone. We readily detected S. lateralis eDNA under cover objects up to 2 weeks after the last visual detection, and at some cover objects where no S. lateralis were visually observed in prior months. With sufficient sampling intensity, eDNA testing of soil under cover objects produced comparable per sample detection probabilities as roller surface methods. Our results suggest that combining eDNA and cover object methods can considerably increase the detection power of reptile monitoring programs, allowing more accurate estimates of population size, detection of temporal and spatial changes in habitat use, and tracking success of restoration efforts. Further research into the deposition and decay rates of reptile eDNA under cover objects, as well as tailored protocols for different species and habitats, is needed to bring the technique into widespread use.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining surface and soil environmental DNA with artificial cover objects to improve terrestrial reptile survey detection

Kyle

Allen

Dragon

et al. 2022

Conservation Biology

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“…These results could be another example of a combination of activity-and occupancy-related effects. The increase of detection when minimum temperatures are colder could be as a result of this species using the artificial substrates for their thermal properties, as found with other species of reptiles in Southern California [76]. In contrast, the increase in detection when maximum temperatures are warmer could be as a result of their increased activity in warmer temperatures.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 75%

A misleading tail: A long-term study of reptile responses to multiple disturbances undermined by a change in surveying techniques

Evans,

MacGregor,

Lindenmayer

2024

PLoS ONE

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Long-term ecological monitoring is crucial to understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems, communities, and populations. Despite this, monitoring data are lacking or rare for the vast majority of biodiversity. Here we report the results of 19 years (2003–2022) of continuous annual monitoring of reptile species at Booderee National Park (BNP) on the east coast of south-eastern Australia. We tested the effects of time, habitat type, fire, and climate on detections of five reptile species. Our study revealed declines in detections of two skink species over time (Lampropholis delicata and Ctenotus taeniolatus), which we suspect was partly driven by weather conditions influencing activity of these species. We also identified broad vegetation type associations for two congeneric species with L. delicata being associated with forested sites, and Lampropholis guichenoti associated with more shrubby sites. Our results also demonstrated a clear association between Cryptophis nigrescens and L. delicata and fire, with the probabilities of detection of both species decreasing with time since fire in the short term. At about the midway point of our study (in 2011), we were forced to make a change in the way our data were collected. The change heavily influenced our findings, and so breached the integrity of the time series in our dataset. We acknowledge that a simple but crucial step to mitigate this breach would have been to conduct calibration that allowed subsequent analysis to control for a change in field survey methodology. Whilst improvements in the effectiveness of field survey methods might be possible through new technologies, it is crucial to maintain the integrity of long-term datasets as data collection continues.

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“…Our findings suggest that the introduction of new structures, in the form of mimics or simple shelters with a canopy, could strongly contribute to the structural heterogeneity of desert ecosystems, and positively influence vertebrate communities. While these structures do not necessarily provide resources such as food, they are able to provide cover and protection from harsh abiotic factors (Lemm & Tobler 2021). In addition, these structures can provide refuges for invertebrates that many animals do eat, thus indirectly increasing prey item availability (Price et al 1980).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relative effects of artificial shrubs on animal community assembly

Zuliani,

Ghazian,

MacDonald

et al. 2024

Restoration Ecology

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Facilitative associations between the foundational shrub species Ephedra californica and local vertebrate species can drive positive interactions within desert ecosystems that influence diversity and assembly processes. These foundational shrubs can contribute to the structural heterogeneity of ecosystems for plants and animals including variation in temperature profiles, refuge from predation, and habitat for foraging. Artificial structures can also influence fine‐scale ecological and micro‐environmental dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that artificial shrubs (mimics) positively influence desert vertebrate association through facilitative interactions, similar to foundational shrub species. Mimics were deployed at four distinct sites within the central deserts of Southern California. A combination of camera traps and temperature pendants were utilized to measure the association patterns of vertebrate species and the microclimatic variation at mimic, open, and shrubs. A total of 21 species were observed in this study. Mimics had a significantly higher vertebrate abundance and richness than open microsites and functioned similarly to shrubs. These findings suggest that mimics can be utilized as a stop‐gap replacement for foundational shrub species as they can act as a novel fine‐scale habitat for many desert vertebrate species.

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Factors Affecting the Presence and Abundance of Amphibians, Reptiles, and Small Mammals under Artificial Cover in Southern California

Cited by 5 publications

References 48 publications

Combining surface and soil environmental DNA with artificial cover objects to improve terrestrial reptile survey detection

Combining surface and soil environmental DNA with artificial cover objects to improve terrestrial reptile survey detection

A misleading tail: A long-term study of reptile responses to multiple disturbances undermined by a change in surveying techniques

The relative effects of artificial shrubs on animal community assembly

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