Data from: Recent grazing reduces reptile richness but historic grazing filters reptiles based on their functional traits

1. Grazing by mammalian herbivores can alter vegetation structure and composition. It can therefore affect critical habitat features used by native wildlife for shelter, feeding and breeding. This can have variable effects, which advantage or disadvantage particular species, depending on habitat requirements. 2. We tested the relative effects of recent and historic livestock grazing and recent rabbit and kangaroo grazing on all reptiles, and on specific groups of reptiles based on three functional traits: habitat preference (semi-arboreal, terrestrial, fossorial), activity pattern (diurnal, nocturnal) and primary foraging habitat (tree, litter, open). 3. We used structural equation modelling to assess the direct and indirect impacts of mammalian herbivores (livestock, and free-ranging kangaroos and rabbits) on reptile richness at 108 semi-arid woodland sites in eastern Australia. We used a trait-based approach to classify reptiles according to their: (1) habitat preference, (2) activity pattern and, (3) foraging preference. 4. We recorded 42 reptile species from 1736 specimens caught over 13,824 trap nights. Sites grazed by rabbits were associated with greater richness of semi-arboreal species. Kangaroo grazing had virtually no effects on total richness or richness within trait groups. The effects of recent and historic livestock grazing differed among reptile trait groups. Increasing intensity of recent livestock grazing reduced the richness of most reptile groups directly, and indirectly suppressed the positive effect of native plant richness on reptile richness. The effects of historic livestock grazing, however, filtered reptiles based on their traits, reducing the richness of tree-shrub foraging reptiles only. Increasing woody cover had direct suppressive effects on all reptiles, but particularly open foragers and terrestrial species. Overall, the effects of recent livestock grazing were stronger than those of plant richness or woody cover. 5. Synthesis and applications. We therefore demonstrate how grazing by all herbivores, both domestic and free-ranging, needs to be managed according to seasonal conditions in order to meet the conservation needs of semi-arid reptiles within landscapes dominated by livestock .

1. 哺乳动物草食动物的放牧行为可改变植被结构与组成，进而影响本土野生动物用于栖息、觅食与繁殖的关键生境特征。此类影响存在变量差异，会根据物种的生境需求，对特定类群产生有利或不利作用。
2. 本研究针对近期与历史时期的家畜放牧、以及近期的兔类与袋鼠类放牧活动，探究其对所有爬行动物类群，以及基于三大功能性状划分的特定爬行动物类群的相对影响。三大功能性状分别为：生境偏好（半树栖、陆栖、穴居）、活动节律（昼行、夜行）与主要觅食生境（树木、枯落物、开阔生境）。
3. 我们采用结构方程模型（Structural Equation Modelling），评估了哺乳动物草食动物（家畜、自由活动的袋鼠与兔类）对澳大利亚东部108个半干旱林地样地爬行动物物种丰富度的直接与间接影响。同时基于三大维度对爬行动物进行性状分类：（1）生境偏好；（2）活动节律；（3）觅食偏好。
4. 本研究在13824个诱捕夜的采样周期内，共捕获1736号标本，记录到42种爬行动物。结果显示，兔类放牧的样地与半树栖类群的物种丰富度提升显著相关。袋鼠放牧对总物种丰富度及各性状类群的丰富度几乎无影响。近期与历史家畜放牧的影响在不同爬行动物性状类群间存在差异：近期家畜放牧强度的增加，会直接降低多数爬行动物类群的丰富度，并间接削弱本土植物物种丰富度对爬行动物丰富度的正向促进作用；而历史家畜放牧则仅基于性状对爬行动物进行筛选，仅降低了以树木-灌丛为觅食生境的类群的丰富度。木本植被盖度的增加对所有爬行动物类群均产生直接抑制作用，尤以开阔生境觅食类群与陆栖类群最为显著。整体而言，近期家畜放牧的影响强度高于植物物种丰富度与木本植被盖度的影响。
5. 综合与应用：本研究证实，针对所有草食动物（包括家畜与自由活动的野生草食动物）的放牧管理，需结合季节条件制定策略，以满足以家畜经营为主的景观中半干旱爬行动物的保护需求。