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

ABSTRACT: 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 wit

SUBMITTER: Evans MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11178227 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature