The effect of two years of livestock grazing exclosure upon abundance in a lizard community in Baja California Sur, Mexico
-
Published source details
Romero-Schmidt H., Ortega-Rubio A., Arguelles-Méndez C., Coria-Benet R. & Solis-Márin F. (1994) The effect of two years of livestock grazing exclosure upon abundance in a lizard community in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society, 245–248.
Published source details Romero-Schmidt H., Ortega-Rubio A., Arguelles-Méndez C., Coria-Benet R. & Solis-Márin F. (1994) The effect of two years of livestock grazing exclosure upon abundance in a lizard community in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society, 245–248.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
| Action | Category | |
|---|---|---|
|
Cease livestock grazing: Forest, open woodland & savanna Action Link |
 |
-
Cease livestock grazing: Forest, open woodland & savanna
A paired, controlled study in 1991 of tropical deciduous forest ranchland in Baja California Sur, Mexico (Romero-Schmidt et al. 1994) found that lizard abundances tended to be higher in ungrazed sites compared to grazed sites. Results were not statistically tested. Thirty-two lizards were observed in ungrazed sites and seven in grazed sites. Five species were observed in both ungrazed and grazed sites: spiny lizard Sceloporus hunsakeri (ungrazed: 6 individuals, grazed: 2), Baja California brush lizard Urosaurus nigricaudus (16, 2), orange-throated whiptail Aspidoscelis hyperythrus hyperythrus (7, 1), spiny lizard Sceloporus licki (2, 1), and Baja blue rock lizard Petrosaurus thalassinus thalassinus (1, 1). Five 25 x 5 m transects at 5 m intervals were established in a 2,400 m2 exclosure with no grazing since 1989. The same survey set up was established in a grazed area 35 m outside the exclosure on a livestock ranch. Lizard abundance was measured by counting the number of lizards observed/time spent looking.
(Summarised by: Maggie Watson)
