Frances Leng

Do reptiles (i.e. Squamatas) benefit from hardwood profitable perennial farming systems?

Frances’ research is investigating the efficiency of reptiles to measure profitable perennials affects on biodiversity. Here research will be an important contribution to the much needed on-going assessment of the ecological value of agricultural re-vegetation in the wheatbelt region.

Reptiles are a major component of vertebrate diversity in the Western Australian (WA) wheatbelt. However, it’s unknown if reptiles actually respond rapidly to environmental degradation. Studies in the WA wheatbelt indicate reptiles may have successional patterns of colonisation in farmland re-planted with perennial vegetation.

This suggests reptiles could be utilised to measure how anthropogenic changes in agricultural systems affect biodiversity. There is limited research on habitat resources provided for fauna and minimal existing revegetation wheatbelt studies examining how resources may change as vegetation matures, or in the case of hardwood perennial plantings, is removed or harvested.

Frances’ research falls into the CRC’s Program 4 research area and is related to the Productive Perennials for Biodiversity project.

Objectives:

• Clarify if sandalwood plantations aid in reptile persistence in the WA wheatbelt
• Establish if sandalwood plantations provides alternative resources for reptile
• Determine what influences sandalwood plantations have on the overall agricultural matrix in relation to the WA wheatbelt reptile fauna.

For more information, email Frances.