Conservation Evidence: Evidence Data

Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Plant native species Two studies evaluated the effects of planting native species on reptile populations. Both studies were in the USA. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Occupancy/range (1 study): One before-and-after study in the USA found that an area reseeded and replanted with native vegetation was colonized and abandoned at different times by two snake and one lizard species, and one other lizard species may have remained, but in low numbers. BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDY) Use (1 study): One replicated, site comparison study in the USA found that grasslands reseeded with both native and non-native grasses were used by Texas horned lizards. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3709https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3709Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:49:56 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Release animals that modify landscapes (e.g. ecological engineers) We found no studies that evaluated the effects on reptile populations of releasing animals that modify landscapes (e.g. ecological engineers). ‘We found no studies’ means that we have not yet found any studies that have directly evaluated this action during our systematic journal and report searches. Therefore we have been unable to assess whether or not the action is effective or has any harmful impacts. Please get in touch if you know of such a study for this action.Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3710https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3710Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:55:20 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Manage vegetation using livestock grazing Two studies evaluated the effects of managing vegetation using livestock grazing on reptile populations. One study was in France and one was in the USA. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (2 STUDIES) Abundance (1 study): One site comparison study in France found that one reptile species was more abundant in areas grazed by sheep than in areas managed by burning, whereas the abundance of five other species was similar in all areas. Reproductive success (1 study): One before-and-after study in the USA found that after grazing cattle to restore bog turtle habitat, along with providing artificial nest covers, more bog turtle eggs were laid and hatching success was higher than before. BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDY) Use (1 study): One before-and-after study in the USA found that bog turtle nests were laid only in areas that had been grazed in the current or previous growing season. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3711https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3711Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:56:11 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Manage vegetation using herbicides Seven studies evaluated the effects of managing vegetation using herbicides on reptile populations. Four studies were in the USA, two were in Australia and one was in the US Virgin Islands3. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (3 STUDIES) Community composition (1 study): One replicated, randomized, controlled, before-and-after study in Australia found that areas where an invasive shrub was sprayed with herbicide had similar composition of reptile species compared to unsprayed areas. Richness/diversity (3 studies): Three replicated, randomized, controlled, before-and-after studies in Australia and the USA found that areas where vegetation was treated with herbicides had similar richness of reptile species or combined reptile and amphibian species compared to areas not treated with herbicide. POPULATION RESPONSE (6 STUDIES) Abundance (4 studies): Three of four studies (including three replicated, randomized, controlled, before-and-after studies) in the USA and Australia found that areas where vegetation was treated with herbicides had similar abundance of all or most reptiles compared to areas not treated with herbicide. The other study found that after glyphosate was applied to pond vegetation, fewer mangrove salt marsh snakes were found compared to immediately before application. Reproductive success (2 studies): One of two controlled studies (including one replicated study and one randomized study) in the USA and US Virgin Islands found that exposure of red-eared slider eggs to high levels of glyphosate caused a reduction in hatching success. The other study found that leatherback turtle nests in areas treated with herbicide had similar hatching and emergence success compared to nests in untreated areas. Survival (1 studies): One randomized, controlled study in the US Virgin Islands found that in areas treated with herbicide, fewer leatherback turtle hatchlings became entangled in vegetation than in untreated areas. BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDY) Use (1 study): One replicated, randomized, controlled study in Australia found that pink-tailed worm-lizards were not found in restored rocky areas treated with herbicide, but were found in restored areas not treated with herbicide. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3712https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3712Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:00:47 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Manage vegetation by cutting or mowing Seven studies evaluated the effects of managing vegetation by cutting or mowing on reptile populations. Five studies were in the USA, one was in Australia, and one was in Spain. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (3 STUDIES) Richness/diversity (3 studies): Three replicated, randomized, controlled studies (including one before-and-after study) in the USA found that areas where vegetation was managed by cutting had similar reptile species richness compared to areas with no cutting. POPULATION RESPONSE (5 STUDIES) Abundance (4 studies): Three of four replicated, controlled studies (including three randomized studies) in the USA found that areas where vegetation was managed by cutting had similar reptile abundance compared to areas with no cutting. The other study found that densities of eastern Massassauga rattlesnakes were higher after cutting during the first three years, but similar after four years. Condition (1 study): One replicated, randomized, controlled, before-and-after study in Spain found that an adapted brush cutter caused less damage to tortoise carcasses than a conventional brush cutter. BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDIES) Use (2 studies): One replicated, randomized, controlled study in Australia found that after cutting back canopy vegetation, reptiles used unshaded rocks more often than shaded rocks in winter but not spring. One randomized study in the USA found that mown areas were used for nesting by Blanding’s turtles less frequently than tilled areas. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3713https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3713Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:26:20 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Manage vegetation by hand (selective weeding) Four studies evaluated the effects of managing vegetation by hand on reptile populations. Two studies were in the USA, one was in South Africa and one was in the US Virgin Islands. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES) POPULATION RESPONSE (2 STUDIES) Abundance (1 study): One replicated, paired sites, controlled, before-and-after study in the USA found that removing invasive, non-native Sahara mustard by hand had mixed effects on the abundance of two lizard species. Reproductive success (1 study): One replicated, randomized, controlled study in the US Virgin Islands found that in areas where native beach morning glory was removed by hand, leatherback turtle nests had similar hatching and emergence success compared to areas where no removal took place. Survival (1 study): One replicated, randomized, controlled study in the US Virgin Islands found that in areas where native beach morning glory was removed by hand, fewer leatherback turtle hatchlings became entangled in vegetation compared to areas where no removal took place. BEHAVIOUR (2 STUDIES) Use (2 studies): One replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in South Africa found that removing an invasive plant by hand resulted in more sites being used for nesting by Nile crocodiles compared to areas with no removal. One randomized study in the USA found that weeded or mown areas were used less frequently for nesting by Blanding’s turtles than tilled areas. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3714https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3714Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:53:37 +0000Collected Evidence: Collected Evidence: Clear or open patches in forests Six studies evaluated the effects of removing canopy to create clearings on reptile populations. Two studies were in the USA and one was in each of Sweden, Australia, the UK and France. COMMUNITY RESPONSE (1 STUDY) Richness/diversity (1 study): One replicated, controlled study in Australia found that rocky outcrops where trees were removed had higher reptile species richness than overgrown outcrops, and similar richness to outcrops that were naturally sun exposed. POPULATION RESPONSE (5 STUDIES) Abundance (4 studies): One of four replicated studies (including three controlled studies) in Sweden, Australia, the UK and the USA found that after clearings and sand patches were created, sand lizard colonized, abundance then declined, but then increased once more, larger clearings were created. One study found that more slow worms and common lizards were found in open areas of woodland maintained by vegetation cutting compared to in coppiced areas. One study found that areas with reduced canopy had more eastern Massassauga rattlesnakes in the first three years after cutting than uncut areas, but similar numbers after four years. The other study found that removing trees from rocky outcrops had mixed effects on reptile abundance. Occupancy (1 study): One replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in France found that forest areas where the canopy had been opened up were more likely to be occupied by asper vipers than areas with closed canopy. BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDY) Behaviour change (1 study): One before-and-after study in the USA found that clearing a patch of canopy in a forest did not affect spotted turtle home range size. Collected Evidencehttps%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3715https%3A%2F%2Fconservationevidencejournal.com%2Factions%2F3715Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:01:34 +0000