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Legacy land use predicts occupancy patterns of prairie-associated herpetofauna in Western Arkansas

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Abstract

Context

Prairies historically covered much of inland North America, and many species have adapted to the unique conditions found in prairie ecosystems. Less than 1% of prairies remain in Arkansas, with much historic prairie having been converted for urban and agricultural development, resulting in steep population declines for many prairie-associated species.

Objectives

Because many reptile and amphibian species are difficult to detect, the current distributions and habitat requirements of prairie-associated herpetofauna in fragmented landscapes are poorly understood. Thus, we assessed the state of prairie-associated herpetofauna communities in intact prairie, as well in degraded and developed historic prairie throughout Western Arkansas.

Methods

Using repeated field surveys, remote sensing data, and hierarchical community occupancy models, we examined the influence of vegetation conditions, land use, and landscape characteristics on an assemblage of nine species of prairie-associated herpetofauna.

Results

Prairie mound density, representing prairie that has not been subject to intense anthropogenic disturbance, was the strongest positive predictor of occupancy by prairie-associated species. Historic prairie area also exhibited a positive relationship with occupancy for several species but not at the assemblage level. Current vegetation conditions did not strongly influence occupancy patterns.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that long-term land use filters, rather than present site-level conditions, are the driving forces dictating current distributions of prairie-associate herpetofauna in Western Arkansas. Our findings provide insight into the present state of understudied populations in an increasingly fragmented region and present accessible tools for directing exploratory conservation and research efforts.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Max Carnes-Mason, Alex Meinders, Matt Gideon, Dr. Jennifer Mortensen, Kory Roberts, Bailey Singleton, Dr. Meredith Swartwout, and Gabriel Yerdon for their work in the field. We thank the Marley, Stokenbury, and Thrailkill families, Terry Stanfill, and Polly Canez and the Horses for Healing staff for access to their properties. We are extremely grateful for the support of Elizabeth Phillips, SGT. Jobe, and the Fort Chaffee range control staff for their assistance in accessing sites at Fort Chaffee. We thank Joe Woolbright, Kelly Irwin, Dustin Lynch, Theo Witsell and the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Bruce Shackleford, Seth Pickens, Jeff Hickle and the City of Fayetteville, Alan Edmundson, Marson Nance and the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, and Joe Adams and the Charlie F. Craig Fish Hatchery for information and property access. We thank Matthijs Hollanders for input on occupancy model structure. We thank Dr. Steve Beaupre, Dr. Dan Greene, Dr. Lauren Maynard, and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript. We thank Kory Roberts for his work in the field and on the Arkansas Herpetological Atlas, and for his willingness to share his extensive knowledge of herpetofauna in Arkansas.

Funding

Funding for this project was provided by a State Wildlife Grant from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC; RG-2708), the Arkansas Audubon Society Trust, Prairie Biotic Research, Inc., Ozark Ecological Restoration Inc., and the University of Arkansas. Additional support for EJR and conference travel was provided by the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas Graduate School Doctoral Academy Fellowship.

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  1. Chelsea S. Kross

    Present address: Stephen A. Forbes Biological Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Havana, IL, 62644, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA

    Ethan J. Royal, Chelsea S. Kross & John D. Willson

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Contributions

CSK and JDW conceptualization and funding acquisition, CSK, JDW, and EJR methodology, CSK and EJR performed field work and data management, EJR performed statistical analyses, prepared figures, and wrote main manuscript text. CSK, JDW, and EJR edited manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript and approved the final draft.

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Correspondence to Ethan J. Royal.

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Royal, E.J., Kross, C.S. & Willson, J.D. Legacy land use predicts occupancy patterns of prairie-associated herpetofauna in Western Arkansas. Landsc Ecol 38, 423–438 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01564-z

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