The intensification of human activities is responsible for habitat loss which is the major cause of biodiversity regression. In this context, it becomes critical to consider with more attention highly transformed or artificial habitats that may have a significant value for biodiversity conservation. It is also equally important to evaluate the significance of management measures in remaining semi-natural habitat. Squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) usually have limited dispersal capacities and are consequently particularly vulnerable to habitat changes. We studied the abundance of an endangered species, the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), in 112 sites located in the southern part of Belgium. We wanted to compare population size and density in a semi-natural habitat (dry grassland) and two artificial ones (rocky habitats and railway). We also wanted to compare snake density in grasslands depending on management measures (either mowing, grazing, or no management). Our results suggest that smooth snake population sizes are low with fewer than 20 individuals on 85% of the sampled sites. Highest density and population sizes were reported along railways and in artificial rocky habitats when compared with grasslands. Population density was lower in nature reserves reflecting notably the negative effect of management (grazing). Our study suggests that transformed habitat can provide significant structural diversity and can be beneficial as long as human pressure remains low. In turn, management measures deployed in semi-natural habitats may dramatically affect microhabitat diversity and significantly impact squamate populations.

中文翻译：

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人类景观中的蛇保护：考虑人工栖息地并质疑半自然栖息地的管理

人类活动的加剧是造成栖息地丧失的原因，栖息地丧失是生物多样性退化的主要原因。在这种情况下，至关重要的是，更多地考虑可能对生物多样性保护具有重要价值的高度转化或人工生境。评估剩余半自然生境中管理措施的重要性也同样重要。鳞状爬行动物（蜥蜴和蛇）通常散布能力有限，因此特别容易受到生境变化的影响。我们研究了濒临灭绝物种的光滑蛇（Coronella austriaca）的丰度），位于比利时南部的112个站点中。我们想要比较半自然栖息地（干旱草原）和两个人工栖息地（岩石栖息地和铁路）的人口规模和密度。我们还想根据管理措施（割草，放牧或不进行管理）比较草原上的蛇密度。我们的结果表明，在85％的采样点上，平滑的蛇种群数量很少，少于20只。与草原相比，沿铁路和人造岩石栖息地的密度和种群规模最高。自然保护区的人口密度较低，这明显反映了管理（放牧）的负面影响。我们的研究表明，只要人的压力保持较低，转化后的栖息地就可以提供重要的结构多样性，并且可能是有益的。反过来，