Verge Characteristics Along Unpaved Roads are not Correlated with Presence of Two Early Successional Lizard Species

Small ectotherms such as lizards often use road corridors in forested habitats. Unpaved roads, characterized by natural soils and low traffic, are hypothesized to provide connectivity between suitable early successional habitat and unsuitable dense mature forest patches for small ectotherms. We quantified the effects of six combinations of road-adjacent vegetation and disturbance history on the occurrence and encounter frequency of the Florida Scrub Lizard and Six-lined Racerunner along unpaved roads in Ocala National Forest (Florida, USA). We also compared microhabitat characteristics in the road adjacent landscape among these habitat combinations and correlated these values to occurrence and encounter frequency of these lizards. Occurrence and encounter frequency of both species showed little variation among road adjacent habitats. Microhabitat conditions were also very similar among road adjacent habitat combinations. Occurrence and encounter frequency of the Florida Scrub Lizard was associated with a greater availability of shade, whereas occurrence and encounter frequency of the Six-lined Racerunner were associated with warmer substrates. Our data show that unpaved roads create equal opportunity for use as alternative habitat for early successional lizards regardless of vegetation structure or management history in the road adjacent landscape. Consequently, maintenance of unpaved roads may contribute to the viability of these populations in Ocala National Forest.