Rodents and reptiles as bioindicators for assessing coastal dune restoration success following invasive acacia removal

Although there is adequate knowledge on restoring many invaded habitats, information regarding faunal recovery still lacking, particularly sandy coastal ecosystems. An important challenge for assessing restoration effectiveness the selection of an appropriate bioindicator. The current study examined psammophilic rodents and reptiles following removal Acacia saligna from Mediterranean dunes. Rodents were monitored 3 years after tree removal. Rodent sampling included live trapping; reptile pitfall traps, track transect trails walks (daylight dark). Removing invasive plants improved conditions rodents, including endemic threatened species. However, differ in their physiological behavioral mechanisms, thermoregulation, diet territorial behavior, allowing them to respond habitat changes quicker than rodents. Within group, faster was observed nonterritorial species It necessary consider suitable taxa, method, time evaluation recovery. Our demonstrates that monitoring by combining three methods (1) (2) trails, (3) during daylight dark provides a more complete picture, which difficult achieve single method. Furthermore, case transformer such as A. saligna, cause long-term effects, we conclude both taxonomic groups advantageous, this reliable picture ecological functioning faunistic (compared only one taxa).