Reptiles in resorts : the responses of reptiles to ski-related disturbances in subalpine environments
Date
2014
Authors
Sato, Chloe Frances
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The expansion of ski resorts has been recognised as a threat to alpine-subalpine ecosystems that can irreversibly damage native vegetation and negatively affect fauna. However, ski tourism contributes substantially to the economy of many countries. Hence, it is in the interest of those nations to continue developing alpine-subalpine areas to meet the demands of patrons. Due to this pressure, species losses - particularly of threatened endemics - could occur without the implementation of management plans informed by empirical research. However, limited peer-reviewed research has investigated the effects of ski-related disturbances on wildlife, especially reptiles. In this thesis, I investigated reptile distribution patterns in and around ski resorts, as well as potential drivers of these patterns. Using a combination of trapping and active searching, I found that: 1) reptiles were largely absent from ski runs; 2) reptiles occurred in patches of remnant woodland/forest retained on ski runs, particularly in the edges of patches close to continuous forest; 3) reptiles with specific habitat requirements (specialists) were less tolerant of disturbance than reptiles with broader habitat requirements (generalists). Investigations into the potential factors driving these patterns indicated that vegetation composition, habitat structural complexity, predation risk and thermal regimes contributed to observed reptile distributions. Each reptile species studied was associated with either a compositional feature (e.g. specific alpine-subalpine plant species) or structural feature (e.g. woody debris or large rocks) of alpine-subalpine habitats. Hence, we argue that alterations to these habitat attributes when creating ski runs will supress lizard abundances in these areas. This is particularly evident for ski runs, which reptiles generally avoided. The low structural complexity on ski runs offered reptiles no refuge from elevated predation levels in ski resorts, or the extreme thermal regimes recorded on ski runs. However, the negative effects of ski-related habitat fragmentation and habitat loss on reptiles may be mediated by the retention of remnant habitat patches on ski runs. I found that remnant patches, regardless of size, are capable of supporting similar densities of reptiles to those found in continuous forest. This may be due to the altered thermal conditions available at the edges of remnant patches. Thermal regimes in edges were warmer than those of core vegetated habitats, but cooler than those on ski runs, potentially providing reptiles with a favourable environment for thermoregulation. Based on my investigations, to improve the conservation outcomes of alpine-subalpine reptiles in ski resorts, I recommend that: i) intensive disturbances be restricted to already highly modified areas of ski resorts; ii) existing native vegetation and habitat structures be retained wherever possible during ski developments; and iii) structural complexity be re-established at highly modified sites through revegetation and the cessation of mowing. In providing these recommendations, I emphasize that: 1) effective management strategies targeting the conservation of reptile diversity in alpine-subalpine landscapes require an understanding of both the distribution patterns and the drivers that determine those distributions in these landscapes; and 2) there is an urgent need for more empirical research to inform current, and future, management of wildlife in alpine-subalpine areas.
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