Habitat associations of six-lined racerunners in longleaf pine managed with a short fire rotation for northern bobwhites

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savanna ecosystem is an imperiled, fire-dominated community that supports exceptionally high levels of species richness and endemism. Area of this community has declined by more than 95% due to unsustainable logging, fire suppression, and changes in land-use practices. In recent decades, efforts to restore fire-dominated communities like longleaf pine savanna have gained popularity, especially in light of benefits to charismatic species like the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Although reptiles are important members of this ecological community, far less information exists as to how this group responds to longleaf pine management, especially when game bird conservation is a primary management focus. Although bobwhite management in these systems is mostly synonymous with longleaf pine restoration, additional conservation practices aimed at game birds (e.g., promoting fallow fields, supplemental feeding, meso-carnivore control, cross sectional ..., Study area and sampling locations. We studied six-lined racerunner ecology in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The study area falls into the southeastern Coastal Plain which is an area characterized by a subtropical climate, and nutrient-poor, well-drained soils (Peet and Allard 1993). Within Brunswick County, we surveyed a 1,850 ha contiguous stand of longleaf pine savanna managed for hunted game species, especially northern bobwhites. Although the dominant land cover was mature longleaf pine savanna, there were other cover types naturally interspersed: wetlands, early successional longleaf pine, dirt roads/firebreaks, and open water (ponds, bays, etc.). There were also fallow fields throughout the property (usually 1-2 ha in size) that were sown with partridge-pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) and/or ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) to support northern bobwhite brood-rearing. In addition to fallow field cultivation, the property implemented other conservation practices to support quail..., , # Habitat associations of six-lined racerunners in longleaf pine managed with a short fire rotation for northern bobwhites

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cc2fqz6gk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cc2fqz6gk)

## Description of the data and file structure

This \"Samek_etal_2024_racerunners_readme.txt\" file was generated on 11 November 2024 by Darin J. McNeil Jr.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1\. Title of Dataset: Habitat associations of six-lined racerunners in longleaf pine managed with a short fire rotation for northern bobwhites

2\. Author Information

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A. Corresponding Author Contact Information

Name: Darin James McNeil Jr.
Institution: University of Kentucky
Address: 104 T.P. Cooper Building Lexington, KY 40546-0073
Email: [e-mail]

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3\. Date of data collection (single date, range, approximate date):

July 2023 through August 2023

4\. Geographic location of data collection:

Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States of America

5\. Information about funding ...