Reptile responses to anthropogenic habitat modification: a global meta-analysis

Aim To determine how reptile populations respond to anthropogenic habitat modification and determine if species traits and environmental factors influence such responses. Location Global. Time period 1981–2018. Major taxa studied Squamata. Methods We compiled a database of 56 studies reporting how habitat modification affects reptile abundance, and calculated standardised mean differences in abundance (Hedges’ g). We used Bayesian meta-analytical models to test whether responses to habitat modification depended on body size, clutch size, reproductive mode, habitat specialisation, range size, disturbance type, vegetation type, temperature and precipitation. Results Based on 815 effect sizes from 376 species, we found an overall negative effect of habitat modification on reptile abundance (mean Hedges’ g = -0.43, 95% credible intervals = -0.61 to -0.26). Reptile abundance was, on average, one-third lower in modified compared to unmodified habitats. Small r...研究目标：明确爬行动物种群如何响应人为生境改造，并探究物种性状与环境因子是否会对该响应产生调控作用。 研究区域：全球范围。 研究时段：1981年至2018年。 研究主要类群：有鳞目（Squamata）。 研究方法：本研究整合了56项相关研究的数据，构建了记录生境改造对爬行动物多度影响的数据库，并计算了种群多度的标准化均值差（赫奇斯g值，Hedges’ g）。我们采用贝叶斯元分析模型，检验爬行动物对生境改造的响应是否受体型大小、窝卵数、繁殖方式、生境特化程度、分布区范围、干扰类型、植被类型、气温与降水的调控。 研究结果：基于376个物种的815个效应量，我们发现生境改造对爬行动物多度整体存在负面影响（平均赫奇斯g值为-0.43，95%可信区间为-0.61至-0.26）。与未受改造的原生栖息地相比，改造生境中的爬行动物多度平均降低三分之一。Small r...