Is the establishment of a functioning ecosystem sufficient to restore reptile communities in sites rehabilitated after bauxite mining?

Patterns of reptile succession in restored sites are poorly known in most ecosystems. However, understanding how reptile succession proceeds may be critical in evaluating restoration success because reptiles are typically the vertebrate group that is slowest to recolonise restored areas. This is probably due to their lower mobility and the specific habitat requirements of some species. We installed trapping grids to sample reptile communities in four ages of restoration (4, 8, 12 and 17-year old) after bauxite mining and unmined forest. We then used this information to determine whether restored sites were providing adequate habitat for all reptile species and whether the reptile community was proceeding towards the reptile community in unmined forest. Not surprisingly, individual species responses differed. Generalist, late successional, open habitat and closed habitat species were identified, but no early successional species. Late successional species were those that required mature habitat features, such as logs or decorticating bark. At the community level, the system did not appear to be returning towards the unmined forest, with 17-year old restored sites being most different from unmined forest sites. This suggests that, despite the establishment of a functioning ecosystem, some active management of restored sites will be required if the reptile community is to return to its pre-mining state.