Papers in the Biological Sciences
Date of this Version
10-1995
Citation
American Midland Naturalist (October 1995) 134(2): 413-417.
Abstract
Since removal of cattle from Arapaho Prairie in 1977, secondary succession has resulted in increased vegetation cover. Studies of resident lizards on a 150 × 150 meter grid revealed: (1) one lizard species (Holbrookia maculata) has essentially been eliminated in 15 years (from a maximum of 74 residents in 1979 to three residents in 1993); (2) a second lizard population (Sceloporus undulatus) has declined from 56 residents in 1979 to fewer than 30 residents in 1993; and (3) preferred microhabitats occupied by lizards have not changed, but their microgeographic distributions have shifted to areas of blowouts, and home ranges have decreased.
Comments
Copyright 1995, University of Notre Dame. Used by permission.