Realm: Terrestrial
Climate: Tropical
Biome: Deserts and xeric shrublands
Central latitude: -23.599830
Central longitude: 138.235505
Duration: 29 years, from 1990 to 2018

6370 records

71 distinct species

Across the time series Lerista labialis is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

This herpetofauna abundance trap data package comprises capture data from plots of gridded pitfall traps in the Simpson Desert, Western Queensland between 1990 and 2018.The network program uses a core of 12 sites which are spaced at least 15 km apart, each comprised of at least two 1-ha trapping grids, or plots which are spaced between 0.5-2 km apart. Trapping grids are set out with thirty-six traps arrayed in a grid covering 1 ha; each grid comprised 6 lines of 6 traps spaced 20 m apart. The top line of traps extended along the dune crest where consecutive numbering starts, and finished along the sixth line 100 m distant in the dune valley or swale. Traps on each grid are opened for 16 nights (usually 3) at an annual sampling interval (usually each April) and checked in the mornings and sometimes afternoons, and animals are removed for processing. Date, site and grid number were recorded for all captures, and captured animals were also marked with unique ID numbers allowing identification of recaptured animals. Total number of captures over the survey trip were noted, and then this was standardised for unequal trapping effort by dividing by the product of number of traps opened and the number of nights traps were opened and then multiplying by 100 to be 'number of captures per 100 trap-nights'.

Citation(s)

@Dataset{BioTIME_cit362, Study_id = {599}, Citation_id = {362}, Author = {Wardle, Glenda and Dickman, Chris and Greenville, Aaron and Tamayo, Bobby}, Publisher = {Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), ANU Data Commons, The Australian National University}, Title = {Desert Ecology Plot Network: Reptile Abundance Plot-data, Simpson Desert, Western Queensland, 1990-2018}, Year = {2018}, Doi = {10.25911/5c1099272c24b}, Url = {doi.org/10.25911/5c1099272c24b}, Language = {English} }