Factors affecting the use of reforested sites by reptiles in cleared rainforest landscapes in tropical and subtropical Australia

Published source details Kanowski J.J., Reis T.M., Catterall C.P. & Piper S.D. (2006) Factors affecting the use of reforested sites by reptiles in cleared rainforest landscapes in tropical and subtropical Australia. Restoration Ecology, 14, 67-76.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

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Create or restore forests

A replicated, site comparison study in 2000–2001 in tropical and subtropical rainforests in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia (Kanowski et al. 2006) found that overall reptile richness, but not abundance, varied by restored forest type, depending on the region and species’ habitat specialism. In the tropics, management type affected overall reptile species richness (ecological restoration: 0.9–1.0 species/site, mixed timber plantation: 0–0.4, young monoculture plantation: 0–1.4, old monoculture plantation: 0.1–1.5, natural regrowth: 0–0.4, converted pasture: 0–0.01, old-growth forest: 0.1–2.2) but not abundance (restoration: 9.6 individuals/site, mixed: 2.8, young: 10.4, old: 6.0, regrowth: 0.8, pasture: 0.5, old-growth: 8.8). In the subtropics, management type did not affect overall species richness (restoration: 0–1.0, mixed: 0–0.7, young: 0–0.6, old: 0.2–0.4, regrowth: 0.2–0.4, pasture: 0–0.2, old-growth: 0.4–1.3) or abundance (restoration: 13.6, mixed: 10.7, young: 2.4, old: 1.3, regrowth: 17.6, pasture: 0.3, old-growth: 4.0). Rainforest-specialist species richness varied by management type in both tropical and subtropical regions and were only recorded in restoration plantings, old plantations, and old-growth forest in the tropics and in young and old plantations, natural regrowth and old-growth forest in the subtropics (see paper for individual species results). Reptiles were monitored in ecological restoration plantings (19 sites), mixed timber plantations (15), young monoculture timber plantations (10), old monoculture timber plantations (20), natural regrowth (10), converted to pasture (10), and unmanaged old growth rainforest (20) in subtropical and tropical rainforest. Visual searches were carried out in one 0.3 ha plot/site (30 minutes/search) on three occasions/site between October 2000–November 2001.

(Summarised by: Maggie Watson, Katie Sainsbury)