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Habitat Patch Size Affects Demographics of the Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi)

Abstract Habitat destruction and fragmentation are often cited as primary causes for declines in reptile and amphibian populations. Smaller habitat patches constrain population size resulting in increased extinction risk caused by stochastic processes. However, patch size also may affect populations in a deterministic manner. We used mark and recapture techniques to examine effects of patch size on demographics of the Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus woodi). We examined populations in eight scrub habitat patches that differed in size but were similar with respect to other habitat characteristics. Abundance, survivorship, and recruitment were positively associated with patch size for both sexes. Individual growth rate increased with patch size for males but was negatively associated with patch size for females. Although our data indicate that patch size strongly affects demographics of scrub lizards, mechanisms responsible for these patterns are unknown. We discuss conservation implications of area-sensitive demography for local and regional populations. In particular, we suggest caution when constructing metapopulation models that assume homogenous survival and fecundity rates for all patches regardless of patch size.