Abstract
Fire is a key ecological process in several biomes worldwide. Over recent decades, human activities (e.g. rural abandonment, monoculture plantations) and global warming are magnifying the risk of fire, with changes in fire intensity and frequency. Here, we offer the first study that examines the impact of fire on the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca living in a native cork oak forest and pine plantation in north-western Africa. A total of 44 transects (22 burnt and 22 unburnt) were sampled at 8 sites affected by fires of natural cork oak forest and pine plantation with 8 surveys per site in 2015–2017 (264 hours of sampling effort). Tortoise densities were estimated with line-transect distance sampling. The detection probability of tortoises was higher in burnt (0.915) than unburnt (0.474) transects. The density of tortoises was negatively associated with elevation and declined with fire by c. 50% in both forest types. The negative response of T. graeca to fire should be considered in conservation planning of this species in north-western Africa in a future scenario of changes in fire regime.
Highlights
Fire is a widespread process that plays a key role in ecosystem functioning [1]
This study evidenced for the first time in Africa the negative responses of T. graeca populations to fire
Fire structurally alters the habitat, decreasing the canopy and shrub cover while increasing bare ground [62]. This transformation can enhance detection probability of tortoises driven by the post-fire habitat openness [63]
Summary
Fire is a widespread process that plays a key role in ecosystem functioning [1]. Both landscape alteration and fire-regime shifts can impact vertebrate populations in the Mediterranean area [2, 3], altering species distribution (extinction or colonization of burnt territories; [4]), and population abundance (population decline or surge; [2]). Some species are early colonizers of recently burnt habitats, while other species are late colonizers and require longunburnt forests [6,7,8]. Some species have particular life-history traits that make them vulnerable to fire because they show limited dispersal abilities, delayed reproduction, and low reproductive output, in addition to inhabiting mainly the forest understory [9, 10]. Several studies have indicated that the impact of fire on tortoises is complex [5], since
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