Natural oak forest vs. ancient pine plantations: lizard microhabitat use may explain the effects of ancient reforestations on distribution and conservation of Iberian lizards

Amo, Luisa; López, Pílar; Martı́n, José

doi:10.1007/s10531-006-9003-3

Cited by 33 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…, 2008), and given that the habitat colonization success of reptiles can be negatively affected by the scarcity of sunlit patches, the Scots pine vegetation belt cannot be ruled out as a possible factor preventing rock lizards from thriving below the tree line. In fact, the poor microhabitat quality of these forests is associated with a low diversity of Mediterranean lizard species (Amo et al. , 2007a), but this is the first demonstration of their low thermal suitability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas I. cyreni is endemic to the Sistema Central and is only found between 1600 and 2590 m a.s.l., being most common in rocky outcrops and mixed‐shrub formations (Martín & Salvador, 1997), P. muralis occupies somewhat lower elevations (from 1230 to 2100 m a.s.l.) and a wider range of habitats, including rocky outcrops, oak, beech and pine forests, forest track banks, walls, and other human constructions (Diego‐Rasilla, 2004; Amo et al. , 2007a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of thermal biology and refuge availability on the restricted distribution of an alpine lizard

Monasterio

Salvador

Iraeta

et al. 2009

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim In an effort to disentangle the ecological processes that confine ectotherms to alpine environments, we studied the thermoregulatory and microhabitat selection behaviours of the rock lizard Iberolacerta cyreni, which is endemic to some mountains of central Spain, and of the wall lizard Podarcis muralis, which is a potential competitor of rock lizards.Location We chose three areas in the Sierra de Guadarrama (central Spain) that differed in their thermal quality [mean deviation of environmental operative temperatures from the lizards' preferred thermal range (PTR)] and refuge availability: a pine forest (1770 m a.s.l.) in which P. muralis was the only species found, and two mixed shrub and rock sites (1770 and 1900 m a.s.l.) where both species were present.Methods In the field we collected data on refuge availability, sun exposure, body temperature (T b ) and operative temperature (T e ). Thus, we estimated the thermal habitat quality of the areas sampled and the thermoregulation accuracy and effectiveness of both species. ResultsThe pine forest had the lowest thermal quality and refuge availability. The lower-elevation shrub site offered the best thermal quality, but refuges were much scarcer than at the higher-elevation site. Both species thermoregulated accurately, because mean deviations of body temperature (T b ) from PTR were considerably smaller than those of T e . Podarcis muralis had higher T b values than did I. cyreni, which had similar T b values at both shrub sites, whereas P. muralis had lower T b values at higher elevation. Overall, the thermoregulatory effectiveness (extent to which T b values are closer to the PTR than are T e values) of both species was similar, but whereas I. cyreni thermoregulated more efficiently at higher elevation, the opposite was true for P. muralis. At the lower-elevation shrub site, I. cyreni remained closer to refuges than did P. muralis. Main conclusionsOur results suggest that the pine forest belt might prevent the expansion of rock lizards towards lower elevations as a result of its low thermal quality and scarcity of refuges, that the thermoregulatory effectiveness of rock lizards in alpine environments depends more on refuge availability than on thermal habitat quality, and that competition with wall lizards is unlikely to explain either the distribution or the thermoregulatory effectiveness of rock lizards.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of thermal biology and refuge availability on the restricted distribution of an alpine lizard

Monasterio

Salvador

Iraeta

et al. 2009

Journal of Biogeography

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“…In the study area, Psammodromus algirus contributed most to the reptile surplus in order of abundance, followed by the presence of some widespread IberianMediterranean reptiles, such as B. cinereus, P. hispanica, T. lepidus, C. striatus and M. monspessulanus (see similar cases in Amo et al 2007;Ribeiro et al 2009). As a generalist species, P. algirus occupies a wide range of Mediterranean forested and shrubby habitats, even if such habitats are degraded (Carretero et al 2002).…”

Section: Reptile Communitymentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Compared to mammals and birds, reptiles have lower mobility and their survival may depend on a particular habitat structure that provides escape from predators (Milne and Bull 2000;Amo et al 2007). Reptiles also have specific thermal requirements which make them dependent on sunny places for basking (Díaz et al 2000;Martín and López 2002;Sabo 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Montado management effects on the abundance and conservation of reptiles in Alentejo, Southern Portugal

2010

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This study was carried out in the IberianMediterranean region of Alentejo (Southern Portugal) to discover which 'montado' management practices significantly affected reptile variables (abundance, richness). Field surveys on 30 sampling plots allowed us to identify 370 individuals distributed among 12 terrestrial reptile species (six lizards, one amphisbaenid and five colubrid snakes). The lizard Psammodromus algirus was the dominant species (n = 297 individuals). The highest species richness was comprised of five species, whilst two or three species were recorded in two-thirds of the sampling plots. Principal component analysis over management variables accounted for 71.8% of the total variance and subsequently helped to reveal four agrosilvopastoral types. Among them, the highest reptile abundance largely overlapped the cork oak montado, while higher cattle stocking rates were estimated (trampling index) to occur in the holm oak areas, affecting significantly the reptiles. Regression models also showed that both reptile abundance and richness were significantly related to montado areas, where the shrub layer is well preserved and cattle are either absent or present at low stocking rates. Adequate management of montado, preserving the shrub patchwork, is crucial for the conservation of reptiles. Livestock stocking rates should also be maintained at a sustainable level of 0.2-0.4 cattle/ha.

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“…The lack of light and heat reaching the forest floor affects negatively ground-dwelling reptile species (Amo et al 2006;Todd et al 2008), which would explain the negative effect of the understory on the abundance of L. lemniscatus. We do not have a clear explanation for the negative effect of the exotic foliage volume on the abundance of L. schroederi and species richness, but it might be related to a potential effect on the availability of food (e.g., fewer insects), among other mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reptiles in Monterey pine plantations of the Coastal Range of Central Chile

Uribe

Estades

2014

Rev. Chil. de Hist. Nat.

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Background: In Chile, most of the timber industry depends on Monterey pine (Pinus radiata (D. Don.)) plantations, which now cover more than 1.5 million ha. In spite of the intensive management of these plantations, they are home to a large number of wildlife species. One of the least known groups in this type of environment are reptiles. For this reason, we conducted a study on the distribution and abundance of reptiles at plantations of different ages in seven sites in the Coastal Range of Central Chile.Results: From seven species that could be potentially found in the study region, a total of five species were recorded, with Liolaemus lemniscatus (Gravenhorst) being the most abundant (with up to 160 ind*ha −1 ). Detectability of species was similar in young and mature plantations but Liolaemus tenuis (Duméril and Bibron), the most colorful species, showed a higher detection probability than the other species. The highest abundance of reptiles was found in young plantations, and the density of L. lemniscatus and Liolaemus chiliensis (Lesson) declined significantly with plantation development. Liolaemus schroederi (Müller and Hellmich) increased significantly its numbers in 4-to 5-year-old plantations and remained with similar densities in mature plantations. L. tenuis density was low in all plantations and showed no relationship with age. The snake Philodryas chamissonis (Wiegmann) was recorded very few times and only in young plantations. Vegetation characteristics explained a significant proportion of the variation in the abundance of reptiles, with dense understories negatively affecting the abundance of lizards, likely by reducing the amount of heat and sunlight reaching the plantation's interior. The type of microhabitats with the highest number of lizard records was scrub and harvest debris.Conclusions: This work confirms the role of pine plantations as habitat for an important proportion of reptile species in South Central Chile and provides some relationships with management variables that can be used to enhance the contribution of these artificial forests to biodiversity conservation.

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Natural oak forest vs. ancient pine plantations: lizard microhabitat use may explain the effects of ancient reforestations on distribution and conservation of Iberian lizards

Cited by 33 publications

References 35 publications

The effects of thermal biology and refuge availability on the restricted distribution of an alpine lizard

The effects of thermal biology and refuge availability on the restricted distribution of an alpine lizard

Montado management effects on the abundance and conservation of reptiles in Alentejo, Southern Portugal

Reptiles in Monterey pine plantations of the Coastal Range of Central Chile

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