干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Comparisons of reptile populations require that sampling techniques provide unbiased estimates across habitats and seasons. Use of multiple techniques are frequently suggested to fully sample reptile communities. The effects of multiple sampling techniques on measurements and analyses of population attributes are limited. This study compared measurements of abundance based upon drift fences equipped with pitfall and funnel traps to plywood artificial structures in two habitats in the Chihuahuan Desert. Drift fence arrays produced higher abundance estimates for Cnemidophorus marmoratus (P < 0.001) than artificial structures. Artificial structures attracted more Uta stansburiana on uplands compared to arroyos (P = 0.045) but this result is biased because of an inability to distinguish individual animals with plywood artificial habitat. Provision of water under plywood artificial habitats had no measurable effect on capture rate. Within drift fence arrays, pitfall traps captured more C. marmoratus and C. inornatus than funnel traps. Cnemidophorus marmoratus seemed to be susceptible to pitfall trapping during spring (P = 0.058). Uta stansburiana were susceptible to funnel trapping during spring, but had equal catchability for all other season x method combinations (P = 0.012). Plywood artificial structures produced biased abundance estimates for U. stansburiana among habitats. Funnel traps and drift fences alone would produce a seasonal bias for U. stansburiana whereas pitfall traps and drift fences alone produced a seasonal bias for C. marmoratus.