Shrub density effects on the presence of an endangered lizard of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, California

Abstract

Repopulation and protection of endangered species are driving factors for many restoration and conservation practices globally. For successful habitat protection and restoration, we must understand (1) species distribution within suitable habitat and (2) how that habitat is utilized-daily and seasonally (Elith et al., 2006;Eyre et al., 2022;Guisan & Thuiller, 2005). The relationship between animal species and their interactions with plants provides key insights into how managing plant communities can better support animal species Zwolak et al., 2022). In arid/semi-arid deserts and scrublands, animal species experience greater stress due to extremes in temperature and precipitation (Barrows, 2011;

The relative effects of artificial shrubs on animal community assembly

“…These foundational species typically exert facilitative interactions with both plant and animal communities (Brewer et al 2021;Lortie et al 2021;Zuliani et al 2021Zuliani et al , 2023a. Foundational shrub species promote the recruitment and association of vertebrates primarily through temperature amelioration, as several species within desert ecosystems will utilize the microclimate produced by shrub canopies to thermoregulate (Attum et al 2013;Ivey et al 2020Ivey et al , 2022Zuliani et al 2023b). Previous work on Gambelia sila has supported this concept, with individuals associating more frequently with foundational shrubs (Westphal et al 2018;Ivey et al 2020Ivey et al , 2022Zuliani et al 2023a).…”

“…The density of E. californica individuals at each site was estimated using satellite imagery from 2021. Composite satellite imagery was created using Landsat satellite data, at a 30 m resolution (Zuliani et al 2023b). Each shrub within the tested sites was marked and given a unique latitude and longitude value corresponding to its location (Zuliani et al 2023b).…”

“…Composite satellite imagery was created using Landsat satellite data, at a 30 m resolution (Zuliani et al 2023b). Each shrub within the tested sites was marked and given a unique latitude and longitude value corresponding to its location (Zuliani et al 2023b). R version 4.3.1 (R Core Team 2023) was utilized to determine the average shrub density at each site per meter square.…”

Animal burrow presence patterns and local shrub density in Central California Deserts

“…These impacts often have a disproportionate in uence on the patterns of species diversity in their communities [3]. Living in burrows is a frequent behavioral adaptation in dryland habitats, as it can provide animal species utilizing this resource with several bene ts including a sheltered microclimate, protection from predators, and access to food [4][5][6][7]. Often found in large communal colonies, burrowing mammals can transform dryland ecosystems through the creation of complex burrows and feeding activity patterns [8,9,10].…”

“…While studies have focused on how both burrows and shrubs can be utilized by local desert animal communities independently [7,27,28] little work has been done to see how both ecosystem resources could be utilized. Here, we test to see if there is a relationship between the overall density of foundational shrub species and the presence of burrows.…”