What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate how urban green-space fragmentation and structural habitat simplification influence the snake component and overall trophic and functional structure of reptile assemblages.

August 16, 2026Urban EcosystemsOpen Access

Trophic downgrading in the city: urban structural simplification erodes the snake component of reptile assemblages

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Authors

LVLeonardo VignoliRoma Tre University LLLuca Luiselli

Discussion

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Implication

Observational study reveals habitat simplification drives snake loss in urban reptile assemblages, suggesting urbanization triggers functional and trophic erosion.

Key Points

To evaluate how urban green-space fragmentation and structural habitat simplification influence the snake component and overall trophic and functional structure of reptile assemblages.
Re-analyzed presence–absence records for 15 reptile species across urban green-space fragments in Rome, Italy, classifying species into functional and trophic groups.
Evaluated assemblage metrics (snake richness, lizard and gecko richness, trophic complexity, and community trophic index) in relation to fragment size, woodland cover, wetland presence, connectivity, and distance from city center.
Small fragments with limited woodland cover were predominantly occupied by urban-tolerant lizards and geckos, whereas snakes were largely absent.
Woodland cover and wetland presence emerged as the strongest predictors of snake richness, while total fragment size and wetlands best explained snake occurrence.
Sensitivity analyses confirmed that patterns of trophic and functional simplification remained robust across alternative trophic-scoring frameworks and exclusion of empty fragments.

Cite This Study

Vignoli et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817aa1f2fb91fc834ae9b6 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-02092-3

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August 16, 2026Urban EcosystemsOpen Access

Trophic downgrading in the city: urban structural simplification erodes the snake component of reptile assemblages

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Authors

LVLeonardo VignoliRoma Tre University LLLuca Luiselli

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Observational study reveals habitat simplification drives snake loss in urban reptile assemblages, suggesting urbanization triggers functional and trophic erosion.

Key Points

To evaluate how urban green-space fragmentation and structural habitat simplification influence the snake component and overall trophic and functional structure of reptile assemblages.
Re-analyzed presence–absence records for 15 reptile species across urban green-space fragments in Rome, Italy, classifying species into functional and trophic groups.
Evaluated assemblage metrics (snake richness, lizard and gecko richness, trophic complexity, and community trophic index) in relation to fragment size, woodland cover, wetland presence, connectivity, and distance from city center.
Small fragments with limited woodland cover were predominantly occupied by urban-tolerant lizards and geckos, whereas snakes were largely absent.
Woodland cover and wetland presence emerged as the strongest predictors of snake richness, while total fragment size and wetlands best explained snake occurrence.
Sensitivity analyses confirmed that patterns of trophic and functional simplification remained robust across alternative trophic-scoring frameworks and exclusion of empty fragments.

Cite This Study

Vignoli et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a817aa1f2fb91fc834ae9b6 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-02092-3

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