A long-term experiment reveals strategies for the ecological restoration of reptiles in scattered tree landscapes

Maldwyn J. Evans*, Jenny S. Newport, Adrian D. Manning

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    14 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Long-term faunal responses to restoration efforts can be very different from those in the short term, but are often not quantified systematically to identify ways that maximise restoration outcomes. We report on a 9-year landscape-scale ecological experiment that tests the long-term responses of reptile populations to coarse woody debris (CWD) addition, reduced native macropod grazing, and prescribed fire. We found that reptile species richness was increased 9 years after CWD addition, as was the abundance of several common reptile species. Further, the more CWD was added to the system, the more benefits were afforded to reptiles. The positive effect of CWD depended on the surrounding vegetation structure and was greater in sites with low tree and shrub cover. Further, lower levels of macropod grazing appeared to lessen the effects of CWD addition in the long term. Our results show that restoration projects in open woodlands and scattered tree ecosystems should consider the addition of CWD as a fundamental element of their management actions. To maximise benefits of CWD addition for reptiles, we recommend a strategy of placing CWD in areas with low tree and shrub cover rather than areas with high tree and shrub cover. The addition of CWD in such areas would provide crucial shelter and foraging substrates for reptiles in a comparatively hostile portion of the landscape. Our study helps to establish guidelines for achieving long-lasting effects of ecosystem restoration for vertebrates and demonstrates the benefits of monitoring vertebrates over the long term.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)2825-2843
    Number of pages19
    JournalBiodiversity and Conservation
    Volume28
    Issue number11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 15 Sept 2019

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