Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 202 N. Spooner St., Madison, WI, USA.
Oecologia. 2020 Mar;192(3):657-669. doi: 10.1007/s00442-020-04597-w. Epub 2020 Feb 1.
Accurate evaluation of habitat availability for wildlife is relevant for ecological applications. Researchers have frequently used models to simulate habitats thermally suitable for reptiles, but these results have limited application for species highly selective for habitat humidity. Here, we use the biophysical Niche Mapper™ model to investigate impacts of vegetation cover on the habitat quality of a high-elevation forest skink, Sphenomorphus taiwanensis, and to predict changes in habitat suitability in a future warmer climate (3 °C increase in air temperature). We assess habitat suitability with different densities of canopy cover in our study areas using two ecologically relevant estimates for lizards: maximum activity time and evaporative water loss (EWL) during the activity season. We measured preferred body temperature and EWL of this species for model parameterization, and behavioral response to EWL to supplement habitat quality assessment. The results indicated that this species is sensitive to EWL and reduces its activity when dehydrated. The model predicted that denser canopy levels increase microclimate cooling and humidity, and that most canopy levels are thermally suitable for this species, as the lizard can thermoregulate to manage adverse temperatures. Nevertheless, increasing canopy density could significantly decrease EWL during activity. In the warmer climate scenario, simulated maximum activity time and EWL changed little because of thermoregulation behavior. Our results suggest that habitat preference of this species is a consequence of water and energy requirements, and we note that combining EWL and maximum activity time data can enhance model accuracy of lizards' habitat quality in a warmer climate.
准确评估野生动物的栖息地可用性对于生态应用至关重要。研究人员经常使用模型来模拟对爬行动物热适宜的栖息地，但这些结果对于对栖息地湿度高度选择的物种的应用有限。在这里，我们使用生物物理生态位映射模型来研究植被覆盖对高海拔森林石龙子（Sphenomorphus taiwanensis）栖息地质量的影响，并预测未来更温暖气候下（空气温度升高 3°C）栖息地适宜性的变化。我们使用两种与蜥蜴有关的生态学相关估计值（最大活动时间和活动季节的蒸发失水 (EWL)），评估研究区域不同树冠覆盖密度下的栖息地适宜性。我们测量了该物种的首选体温和 EWL，用于模型参数化，并对 EWL 的行为反应进行了补充，以评估栖息地质量。结果表明，该物种对 EWL 敏感，在脱水时会减少活动。该模型预测，更密集的树冠层会增加微气候的冷却和湿度，并且大多数树冠层对该物种都是热适宜的，因为蜥蜴可以通过体温调节来应对不利的温度。然而，增加树冠密度会显著减少活动期间的 EWL。在更温暖的气候情景下，由于体温调节行为，模拟的最大活动时间和 EWL 变化不大。我们的研究结果表明，该物种的栖息地偏好是水和能量需求的结果，我们注意到结合 EWL 和最大活动时间数据可以提高蜥蜴在更温暖气候下的栖息地质量模型的准确性。
