Vegetation structure and the habitat specificity of a declining North American reptile: A remnant of former landscapes
Jayme L. Waldron1, Shane M. Welch2, and Stephen H. Bennett3
1Department
of Forestry and Natural Resources, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634,
USA
2Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina,
Coker Life Sciences 706, Columbia, SC 29802, USA
3South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Columbia,
SC 29201, USA
Abstract:
Although all species provide some spatial information about past environments,
remnant populations of habitat specialists can serve as biological legacies
and natural archives of historical landscapes. The endangered longleaf
pine ecosystem is home to an array of imperiled fauna that specialize
on the habitat. Often referred to as pine savanna, the ecosystem was characterized
by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), but included an array of open-canopy
habitats within a grassland matrix dominated by a variety of tree species.
In this study, we used a coarse scale of description to quantify habitat
associations of a declining reptile, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake
(Crotalus adamanteus), historically associated with pine savannas
of the southeastern United States. We made cross-scale habitat comparisons
and controlled for land use and geographic variability. Habitat models
of within home range and microhabitat selection indicated that the species
was associated with an open-canopy savanna community structure. We identified
the eastern diamondback rattlesnake as a remnant of the historical southeastern
savanna, which is important for species conservation and broader management
of the southeastern savanna community. Given their longevity and habitat
specificity, remnant eastern diamondback rattlesnake populations are biological
legacies of the southeastern savanna community and act as a surrogate
for the prioritization of land conservation. Thus, the species’ presence
provides spatial information that can be used by conservationists to identify
habitats that have high restoration potential, and also increases the
probability that other species associated with pine savanna occur locally.
Keywords: Radiotelemetry, Logistic regression, Historical ecology,
Pine savanna, Crotalus, Coastal Plain, Remnant, Surrogate
SREL Reprint #3098
Waldron,
J. L., S. M. Welch, and S. H. Bennett. 2008. Vegetation structure and
the habitat specificity of a declining North American reptile: A remnant
of former landscapes. Biological Conservation 141(2008): 2477-2482.
