Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Effects of bush encroachment on an assemblage of diurnal lizard species in central Namibia
Biological Conservation, Volume 106, No. 1, Year 2002
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Bush encroachment is a serious environmental and economic problem in Namibia, but little is known about impacts on native reptile diversity. Area-confined visual surveys were used to examine a diurnal lizard assemblage in central Namibian commercial ranchlands. Surveys were conducted in plots of open savanna habitat and proximal bush-encroached habitat. The following four species comprised 97.5% of all lizard observations: Pedioplanis undata, Mabuya varia, M. striata, and Lygodactylus bradfieldi. Pedioplanis undata was terrestrial, and the remaining three species were largely arboreal in our study plots. Mabuya varia was found in all savanna plots but was absent from all bush-encroached plots. Two species (P. undata and L. bradfieldi) were less abundant in bush-encroached plots. One species (M. striata) was more abundant in bush-encroached plots than in open savanna plots. Arboreal lizards demonstrated an avoidance to invasive woody plant species. Decreased diversity of habitat structure in bush-encroached habitats appears to influence native savanna lizard assemblages. Our results are consistent with accumulating evidence suggesting that bush encroachment and its associated ecological impacts are reorganizing savanna ecosystems throughout southern Africa. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Meik, Jesse M.
United States, Logan
Utah State University
United States, Salt Lake City
Round River Conservation Studies
United States, Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington
Jeo, Richard M.
United States, Salt Lake City
Round River Conservation Studies
Namibia, Otjiwarongo
Cheetah Conservation Fund
Mendelson, Joseph R.
United States, Logan
Utah State University
Jenks, Kate E.
United States, Salt Lake City
Round River Conservation Studies
Statistics
Citations: 99
Authors: 4
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00226-9
ISSN:
00063207
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
Namibia