Lizard burrows association with successional stages of biological soil crusts in an arid sandy region

E. Zaady; A. Bouskila

doi:10.1006/jare.2001.0953

Lizard burrows association with successional stages of biological soil crusts in an arid sandy region

E. Zaady, A. Bouskila

Department of Life Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

We study the relationship between the successional stages of biological soil crusts and the distribution of lizards in the 'Arava Valley (eastern Negev Desert). In the dry sandy habitat, four stages of the biological soil crust succession can be characterized by the degree of soil surface compaction. Both the geckos (Stenodactylus doriae) and the diurnal lizards (Acanthodactylus spp.) strongly preferred the fragile crust, where they dug 80% and 94% of their burrows, respectively. Land conservationists and managers should take these results into consideration when management plans for natural habitats and nature reserves are evaluated.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	235-246
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Arid Environments
Volume	50
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.2001.0953
State	Published - 1 Jan 2002

Keywords

Acanthodactylus lizards
Biological crust
Conservation
Cryptogamic
Cyanobacteria
Disturbance
Management
Microphytic
Stenodactylus doriae

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology
Earth-Surface Processes

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title = "Lizard burrows association with successional stages of biological soil crusts in an arid sandy region",

abstract = "We study the relationship between the successional stages of biological soil crusts and the distribution of lizards in the 'Arava Valley (eastern Negev Desert). In the dry sandy habitat, four stages of the biological soil crust succession can be characterized by the degree of soil surface compaction. Both the geckos (Stenodactylus doriae) and the diurnal lizards (Acanthodactylus spp.) strongly preferred the fragile crust, where they dug 80% and 94% of their burrows, respectively. Land conservationists and managers should take these results into consideration when management plans for natural habitats and nature reserves are evaluated.",

keywords = "Acanthodactylus lizards, Biological crust, Conservation, Cryptogamic, Cyanobacteria, Disturbance, Management, Microphytic, Stenodactylus doriae",

author = "E. Zaady and A. Bouskila",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Yael Bogin Zilka for providing unpublished data on the geckos{\textquoteright} burrows and for helpful discussions. Alon Reichmann provided information on the construction time of his enclosures in the field site. Regina Levacov assisted in the laboratory analyses. We thank Sol Brand, Paula Dampsey, Greg Johnston and Itzick Vatnick for commenting on the manuscript. This study was supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation to AB. This is a publication of the Desertification and Restoration Ecology Research Center and publication 329 of the Mitrani Department for Desert Ecology.",

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AU - Zaady, E.

AU - Bouskila, A.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Yael Bogin Zilka for providing unpublished data on the geckos’ burrows and for helpful discussions. Alon Reichmann provided information on the construction time of his enclosures in the field site. Regina Levacov assisted in the laboratory analyses. We thank Sol Brand, Paula Dampsey, Greg Johnston and Itzick Vatnick for commenting on the manuscript. This study was supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation to AB. This is a publication of the Desertification and Restoration Ecology Research Center and publication 329 of the Mitrani Department for Desert Ecology.

PY - 2002/1/1

Y1 - 2002/1/1

N2 - We study the relationship between the successional stages of biological soil crusts and the distribution of lizards in the 'Arava Valley (eastern Negev Desert). In the dry sandy habitat, four stages of the biological soil crust succession can be characterized by the degree of soil surface compaction. Both the geckos (Stenodactylus doriae) and the diurnal lizards (Acanthodactylus spp.) strongly preferred the fragile crust, where they dug 80% and 94% of their burrows, respectively. Land conservationists and managers should take these results into consideration when management plans for natural habitats and nature reserves are evaluated.

AB - We study the relationship between the successional stages of biological soil crusts and the distribution of lizards in the 'Arava Valley (eastern Negev Desert). In the dry sandy habitat, four stages of the biological soil crust succession can be characterized by the degree of soil surface compaction. Both the geckos (Stenodactylus doriae) and the diurnal lizards (Acanthodactylus spp.) strongly preferred the fragile crust, where they dug 80% and 94% of their burrows, respectively. Land conservationists and managers should take these results into consideration when management plans for natural habitats and nature reserves are evaluated.

KW - Acanthodactylus lizards

KW - Biological crust

KW - Conservation

KW - Cryptogamic

KW - Cyanobacteria

KW - Disturbance

KW - Management

KW - Microphytic

KW - Stenodactylus doriae

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DO - 10.1006/jare.2001.0953

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SN - 0140-1963

VL - 50

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JO - Journal of Arid Environments

JF - Journal of Arid Environments

IS - 2

ER -

Lizard burrows association with successional stages of biological soil crusts in an arid sandy region

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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