Data from: Influences of ski-runs, meadow management and climate on the occupancy of reptiles and amphibians in a high-altitude environment of Italy

Alpine ecosystems harbour a rich and highly-specialized biodiversity which is particularly susceptible to anthropogenic disturbances such as habitat loss and fragmentation as well as to climate change. Combined with other forms of land-use conversion, construction and maintenance of ski resorts can have severe consequences on alpine biodiversity. In this study, we show how one amphibian and two reptile species, namely Rana temporaria, Zootoca vivipara and Vipera berus, respond to such impacts by means of a multi-season occupancy analysis. We found all three species both in and outside ski-runs, showing that these habitats do not necessarily preclude their occurrence. Contrarily, this is influenced more by microhabitat availability, such as ground vegetation, humid areas, and rock cover, rather than by macro-characteristics like elevation or habitat type. Moreover, we found a climatic influence on the year-to-year occupancy change of the species, with activity-months conditions being more relevant than overwintering ones. Our results demonstrate how, in the specific case of reptiles and amphibians, ski resorts do not necessarily limit species’ occurrence and that a mild series of management actions might secure the species’ persistence in the area.

高山生态系统孕育着丰富且高度特化的生物多样性，这类生态系统尤其易受人为干扰（如栖息地丧失与破碎化）以及气候变化的影响。加之其他形式的土地利用转型，滑雪度假村的建设与维护会对高山生物多样性造成严重负面影响。本研究通过多季节占用分析，揭示了1种两栖动物与2种爬行动物——即林蛙（Rana temporaria）、胎生蜥蜴（Zootoca vivipara）和极北蝰（Vipera berus）——对上述干扰的响应模式。本研究在雪道内外均发现了这3个物种，表明此类生境未必会排除物种的栖息。与之相反，物种的分布更多受微生境可获得性的影响，例如地面植被、湿润区域与岩石覆盖度，而非海拔或生境类型等宏观特征。此外，本研究发现气候对物种的年际占用动态存在影响，其中活动期的环境条件较越冬期更为关键。本研究结果表明，以爬行动物与两栖动物为例，滑雪度假村未必会限制物种的栖息，且通过一系列温和的管理措施即可保障该区域内物种的存续。