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Abstract
Within the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Desert subdivisions of the North American Desert in the U.S., more than half of 143 total amphibian and reptilian species perform as riparian and/or wetland taxa. For the reptiles, but not the amphibians, there is a significant inverse relationship between riparianness (obligate through preferential and facultative to nonriparian) and desertness. In addition to the nondesert species (N=36) present, there are two evolutionary kinds of desert species in the herpetofauna: true desert species (N–20), and desert-included species (N=87); the former are obligate specialists, the latter are facultative generalists. Quantitative aspects of desertness, riparianness, species richness, nondesert taxa and others are examined.
Parent Publication
Citation
Lowe, Charles H. 1989. The Riparianness of a Desert Herpetofauna. In: Abell, Dana L., Technical Coordinator. 1989. Proceedings of the California Riparian Systems Conference: protection, management, and restoration for the 1990s; 1988 September 22-24; Davis, CA. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-110. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 143-148
