How habitat disturbance benefits geckos: Conservation implications.
I here provide some field observations and literature data showing that egg laying site availability could be the main limiting factor for most arboreal gecko population dynamics. Several natural (typhoons, volcanism, sea level variations) or human-mediated habitat modifications (garden openings in forested areas) provide enough habitat disturbances to significantly increase reproductive outputs in island gecko populations. Such observations, however, also apply to continental populations. Our observations suggest that artificial shelter and egg laying site creation could easily allow populations to increase and also supply easier access to arboreal species for ecological or biodiversity studies. Furthermore, our observations also point out that occurrence in man-made habitats and genetic uniformity of most widespread island lizards should not be considered as evidence of their recent introduction through human agency.
Ineich
Ivan
I
CP 30 (reptiles), CNRS UMR 7205 (origine, structure et évolution de la biodiversité), Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, département de systématique et évolution, 25, rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France. ineich@mnhn.fr
D000818:Animals; D055907:Climatic Processes; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D017753:Ecosystem; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D010058:Oviposition; D011156:Population Density; D012098:Reproduction; D014197:Trees; D014329:Tropical Climate; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions