The impacts of past cultivation on the reptiles in a South African grassland.

The article presents a study that deals with the effects of land-use on reptile populations in the grasslands of Gauteng, South Africa. It highlights the role of past cultivation in fragmentation of reptile population which can lead to the extirpation of species. A survey was conducted that covered reptiles in primary grassland with little or no rock cover, primary grassland with large quartzite outcrops and scattered rocks, and secondary grasslands that were historically ploughed and cropped. Based on their findings, the authors cited the negative impact of habitat transformation associated with cultivation on the species richness and composition of the local reptile assemblages.