Surveys of grass cover and the scat of an endangered lizard (Gambelia sila) in Panoche Hills, California.

Surveys of shrubs were conducted at Panoche Hills Management Area, in California USA. The shrubs were surveyed using detection dogs to find scat of the blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila). In May 2013, we surveyed 700 shrubs, measured the dimensions, and recorded the GPS coordinates. In May 2014, we surveyed a subset of the 700 shrubs and included survey of open areas adjacent to the shrubs. In both years, we also collected residual dry matter (RDM) collected in September of the remaining residual thatch prior to fall rains. The RDM was collected along a systematic grid throughout the study region and encompassing all of the 700 surveyed shrubs. For more information about methods and study site, see published study:Filazzola, A., Westphal, M., Powers, M., Liczner, A. R., Woollett, D. A. S., Johnson, B., &amp; Lortie, C. J. (2017). Non-trophic interactions in deserts: Facilitation, interference, and an endangered lizard species. <i>Basic and applied ecology</i>, <i>20</i>, 51-61.