Conservation in a changing landscape: habitat occupancy of the critically endangered Tennent’s leaf-nosed lizard (Ceratophora tennentii) in Sri Lanka Ruchira Somaweera a,b *, Nayana Wijayathilaka c,d , Gayan Bowatte e and Madhava Meegaskumbura c,d a Biologic Environmental Survey, North Perth, Australia; b CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, Floreat, Australia; c Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; d Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; e Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic (MEGA) Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (Received 18 February 2014; accepted 7 January 2015; first published online 20 February 2015) Landscape modification is a key driver of global species extinction. Thus, under- standing how species react to changes is essential for effective conservation manage- ment in modified landscapes. We examined the impact of selected land use patterns on the critically endangered Ceratophora tennentii in the Knuckles mountain range of Sri Lanka where lizards occupy patches of both natural undisturbed forests and modified plantations – evidently, those with a forest canopy. We tested three potential explana- tions for non-random habitat selection: availability of suitable microhabitat pockets, availability of prey and direct threats from humans. The microhabitat pockets occu- pied by the lizards were characterised by shade, humidity and the density of perches. Most lizards were found in mixed cardamom forests followed by natural forests and cardamom plantations, but none were observed in the pine plantations. Food avail- ability showed similar patterns among habitats. Direct mortality by humans did not influence the distribution of this species. Our work indicates that habitat modifica- tions that retain the structural complexity of the vegetation would still permit the existence of the species in densities equal to or greater than that of undisturbed forest patches. It adds to a growing body of literature that signifies the importance of disturbed habitats (intermediate disturbance hypothesis) in protecting threatened species of fauna. It is highly unlikely that some disturbed habitats will be ever be returned to their former pristine state in time frames that are important for species’ conservation. Hence, attention is needed in developing suitable approaches to manage and conserve species across disturbed habitats. Keywords: cardamom; disturbed habitats; Elettaria cardamomum; Knuckle range; montane forests; mixed forests; Pinus Introduction Rapid alteration of natural habitats, driven by the ever-increasing demand for agricul- tural land, adds a significant component of habitat variability to tropical environments. Human population-driven habitat alteration is a trend particularly evident in developing countries, where more humans are dependent on the environment for basic survival and where land management practices are relatively poor (Smart et al. 2005; Scherr and McNeely 2008). The loss, degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats through *Corresponding author. Email: ruchira.somaweera@gmail.com Journal of Natural History, 2015 Vol. 49, Nos. 31–32, 1961–1985, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2015.1006280 © 2015 Taylor & Francis Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 05:10 08 April 2016