Reptile species richness associated to ecological and historical variables in Iran (original) (raw)
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PLoS ONE, 2013
We used pitfall trapping to investigate the effects of elevation, plant density and soil structure on species diversity and the impact of these habitat factors on lizard habitat selectivity in the Qom Province in the Central Plateau of Iran. From a total of 12 1-ha plots, we captured 363 individuals of 15 species of lizards (six species of Lacertidae, five species of Agamidae, two species of Gekkonidae, one species of Varanidae and one species of Scincidae). A generalized linear model (GLM) determined that elevation was the most important factor impacting species diversity. The highest species diversity was at the intermediate elevation (1289 m). Abundance of 6 out of 15 species showed strong relationships with some habitat factors. These relationships were demonstrated by habitat selectivity index (Ivlev's index). Our result supports other surveys that showed that elevation plays an important role in determining lizard species diversity.
Scientific Reports, 2022
This study explores the relationships between recent Iranian lizard species distributions and the observed climate, as well as potential future distributions of species. For this purpose, an ensemble of seven algorithms was used to forecast the distributions of 30 species for the recent and future (2070) based on the averages of 14 global climate models under optimistic (RCP2.6) and pessimistic (RCP8.5) scenarios. Annual precipitation (n = 16) and annual mean temperature (n = 7) were identified as the most important variables in determining the distribution of 76.66% (23 out of 30) of the species. The consensus model predicts that the ranges of 83.33% of species (n = 25) have the potential to expand poleward at higher latitudes while preserving the majority of their recent distributions (except for four species). Furthermore, the ranges of the remaining species (n = 5) will be preserved at higher latitudes. However, they (n = 22) may contract slightly (n = 13) or excessively (n = 9)...
A shift in reptile diversity and abundance over the last 25 years
Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution, 2019
The south-facing slopes in canyons, oriented along an east-west axis north of the equator, are often hotter and drier than north-facing slopes, promoting differences in the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the opposing slopes. We studied how diversity and abundance patterns have changed in Oren stream (Carmel Mountains, Israel) during the last 25 years. We tested whether temperature and habitat preferences of reptiles affected observation frequencies, to assess potential effects of global warming on the reptiles. We compared the results of a 1993-1994 survey in Oren stream to a survey we conducted during 2017-2018, using similar methods, survey area and effort. Species composition and abundance in Oren stream did not significantly change between studies, but the proportion of observations differed significantly across slopes for four out of the six most abundant species. The number of observations increased monotonically with increasing temperatures on the south-facing slope, but decreased on the north-facing slope above a temperature of 22°C. The major biome species inhabit globally was unrelated to the number of observations across slopes or studies, but species inhabiting warmer ranges were more frequently observed in the current survey. Our results suggest that as global temperatures rise, reptile species which can tolerate higher temperatures, and those which can avoid the hottest temperatures of the day, may be able to cope better. These results however may also derive from better detection ability of some species over others between study teams.
Spatio-temporal discrepancies in lizard species and functional diversity
Community Ecology, 2020
Conducting multi-faceted biodiversity assessments can provide a comprehensive vision of the organization of ecological communities over space and time. In this study, the spatio-temporal species diversity and α and β functional diversity of lizard assemblages were evaluated in four vegetation types over a two-season annual cycle. Additionally, site structural elements including vegetation, soil and environmental variables were characterized and related to the composition of lizard species. Both species diversity and functional diversity varied through space and time but followed different trends. Species diversity was higher in lowland vegetation types, characterized by greater tree canopy coverage (%) as well as higher temperature and humidity conditions, while species richness, evenness and functional divergence showed distinct trends. Similarly, seasonal differences were observed in species and functional diversity: the rainy season had greater species diversity, while functional diversity was higher during the dry season. Also, species β-diversity between vegetation types was characterized by turnover; while nestedness was the main component of functional β-diversity. Seasonally, there was no turnover in species or functional diversity. We conclude that vegetation type is the primary determinant of lizard diversity. However, the functional redundancy observed in lizard communities explains the opposite tendencies found between species and functional diversity at α and β levels.
Habitat relationships of the lizard fauna in the Ramon erosion cirque, Negev Highlands (Israel)
Journal of Zoology, 1997
Lizards were censused in the Ramon erosion cirque (Central Negev, Israel) in 1994 on 24 one-ha plots. Fifteen quantitative habitat variables, describing soil and vegetation structure, were measured at 25 points of each plot. Data were analysed to examine a classification of habitat types based on lizard species composition and the sets of environment variables influencing density of each lizard species. Three hundred and fifty three individuals of 14 lizard species were recorded on the sampling plots. Of these species, only one (Acanthodactylus boskianus) was abundant, eight (Ptyodactylus guttatus, Stenodactylus sthenodactylus, Mesalina guttulata, M. olivieri, Ophisops elegans, Ablepharus kitaibellii, Chalcides ocellatus, Eumesces schneiderii) were common, and five (Laudakia stellio, Pseudotrapelus sinaitus, Trapelus pallidus, Hemidactylus turcicus, Tropiocolotes steudneri) were rare.
Biological Conservation, 2020
North American deserts are warming and becoming more arid at rates that exceed global averages. Desert lizard populations are typically dependent on plant and arthropod food resources catalyzed by variations in aridity. Shifts in those lizard distributions coincident with increasing aridity therefore present an opportunity to document responses to modern climate change as it is happening. Here, we analyzed observation frequencies across an elevation gradient for seven lizard species, comparing a historical dataset (1958-1972) to recent observations (2014-2018) within Joshua Tree National Park, a landscape straddling the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in southern California. Phrynosoma platyrhinos, Aspidoscelis tigris, and Callisaurus draconoides, now appear to occupy new, higher elevation habitats compared to the historical baseline. Except for Sceloporus occidentalis, observation records for each species indicated shifts toward the upper elevations of their ranges. Observations for Uta stansburiana, C. draconoides and A. tigris each shifted their mean elevation upslope ≥10%. Phrynosoma platyrhinos and A. tigris shifted their maximum elevations by ≥15%. To assess whether those elevation shifts could then be corroborated with independent data, we compared the historic-recent observation data with plotbased surveys where we measured lizard densities varying with elevation and rainfall levels from 2014 to 2019. Those historical-recent shifts paralleled changes in lizard densities over the same elevation gradient, with statistical support for the upslope shifts identified for U. stansburiana, A. tigris and, S. magister. Additionally, despite increases in warming and aridity, we found species-specific elevations where local conditions are supporting higher population densities and that may represent climate refugia.
Identifying suitable habitats and current conservation status of a rare and elusive reptile in Iran
Amphibia-Reptilia, 2018
Knowledge gaps regarding species distribution and abundance are great in remote regions with political instability, and they might be even larger concerning elusive and rare species. We predict the potential distribution for Hierophis andreanus, a poorly known endemic snake in the Iranian Plateau, and assess its conservation status in relation to existing protected areas. We used a maximum entropy modeling tool and Mahalanobis distance to produce an ensemble species distribution model. The most suitable habitats where located mainly in mountain ranges and adjacent areas of Iran and Afghanistan. Mean temperature and slope were the most important predictors for our models. Furthermore, just five localities for H. andreanus were inside the Iranian protected areas. A 10 km expansion from existing boundaries of protected areas in all directions would double protected localities to 10, and a 20 km buffer would result in 13 protected localities. Our findings are particularly valuable to se...
Estimating patterns of reptile biodiversity in remote regions
Journal of Biogeography, 2013
Aim The incompleteness of information on biodiversity distribution is a major issue for ecology and conservation. Researchers have made many attempts to quantify the amount of biodiversity that still remains unknown. We evaluated whether models that integrate ecogeographical variables with measures of the effectiveness of sampling can be used to estimate biodiversity patterns (species richness) of reptiles in remote areas that have received limited surveys.
Lizards of the Northern Mongolian desert: Densities and Community Structure
Asian Herpetological Research, 2001
Spatial organization and population densities of three-species lizard community was studied in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. To evaluate the effect of habitat variables on the distribution and abundance of each species we used the stepwise procedure of factor selection with ANOVA on each step. To describe the distribution of species' spatial niches in the space of environmental variables, we used stepwise discriminant function analysis (DFA). The number of species in 1-ha grid areas varied from to 4. Phrynocephalus versicolor was the only species distributed over the 91% of grids occupied. There was a positive relationship between distribution and local species abundance. A set of two to three habitat variables determined the abundance of each species. The result of DFA signify to the well pronounced segregation, but not even distribution of species spatial niches in the space of resources.