Meeting Abstract

78.3  Monday, Jan. 6 10:45  Home range size and survival of Texas horned lizard as a function of physical environment GRANBERG, R.M.*; PERRY, G.; VERBLE, R.M.; Texas Tech University rachel.granberg@ttu.edu

The Texas horned lizard (THL; Phrynosoma cornutum) is a federal Species of Concern and declining across its native range. Current literature describes habitat loss and degradation as a major factor in this decline. Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) has formed monotypic stands in many areas of central Texas, potentially exacerbating a potential lack of thermoregulatory niches. This work evaluates the impact of disturbance, vegetation structure, and environmental parameters on horned lizard home range size and survival. I predicted that home ranges would be smaller and survival rates would be higher in disturbed habitats, due primarily to higher availability of thermoregulatory niches, via a patchy heterogenous vegetation structure. Using radio telemetry, I collected home range information on individuals from June to September 2013. Extensive vegetation surveys were conducted to assess how disturbances alter habitat structure and vegetation composition. Preliminary results suggest that individual survival and recruitment was higher in recently burned areas. Furthermore, fire creates a heterogeneous structure of vegetation and increased plant diversity. However, when paired with mechanical thinning, patch size increases and randomness of spatial patterns decrease.