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Archeological landscapes are important places because they protect areas of historical importance, shape cultural and national identity, are recreational spaces, and vital sources of tourism revenue. Archaeological landscapes have the potential to assist in reptile conservation. The objective of this study was to compare the diurnal reptile richness of an archaeological site to the reptile richness of a nature reserve (treatment control for biodiversity value) and a modern olive grove (treatment control for poor biodiversity value). Our results suggest that archaeological landscapes provide valuable reptile habitat, as our archaeological site supported similar reptile richness as the natural site, with both sites having higher species richness than the modern olive tree farm. The high reptile richness and densities were the result of high potential food availability and habitat mosaic of relatively low tree density and open areas with exposed, tall, rocky ruins. Reptile richness had a negative relationship with tree density. The ruins and high food availability of the archaeological site supported higher densities of saxaphilic lizard species as the density of these species increased as mean maximum rock height and percentage of green ground vegetation cover increased. Promoting the reptile richness of archaeological sites provides another justification for the protection and visitor appreciation for archaeological sites as places of historical, cultural and biodiversity importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Temporally and spatially unpredictable precipitation is one of the main challenges facing wildlife in arid environments. It is therefore expected that precipitation patterns are an important factor determining the distribution of herbivore populations in arid environments. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between precipitation history and Dorcas gazelle kilometric index (KI) in a hyper-arid landscape. There was a significant relationship between Dorcas gazelle KI and precipitation history. Dorcas gazelle KI was significantly higher in areas with more recent rainfall. The lower KI in areas experiencing droughts could be the result of several possibilities such as a reduced carrying capacity, density reduction from animals dispersing to higher quality habitat, and lower survivorship. Our results illustrate the need for conservation efforts in desert areas to take into account the unpredictable nature of precipitation, as some Dorcas gazelle populations may not be able to withstand long durations of drought. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Waterholes are a limited resource vital to the conservation of biodiversity in arid ecosystems. Given the rarity of natural waterholes in deserts and their presumed importance to Vulnerable Nubian ibex Capra nubiana, we examined the influence of landscape characteristics and anthropogenic factors on ibex presence at waterholes. Our results suggest that anthropogenic factors play a larger role in waterhole use than landscape characteristics. Ibex used waterholes regardless of maximum waterhole diameter, maximum water depth or width of the valley in which the waterhole was located. However, ibex were significantly more likely to use waterholes that were far from human dwellings and that had not been visited recently by feral donkeys.Waterhole and ibex conservation will require working with local communities to protect, and ensure sustainable use of, this vital resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]