Abstract
The FRAGILIZ project aims to bring to the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region significant knowledge on the functioning of the populations of one herpetofauna representative, the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) by answering both the themes proposed in the call for proposals: (i) effect of habitat fragmentation on a species considered as quite rare and (ii) potential effect of some contact zones between the presence areas of different populations. Concretely, the project involves the multidisciplinary monitoring of various P. muralis populations by integrating behavioural ecology, ethology, morphology and genetics approaches. Three main reasons justify the project’s relevance: (i) this species is rather rare and close, in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, at the North-West limit of its European distribution area, (ii) the characteristics of this region’s (meta)populations and their resilience potential are not known, (iii) the acquired knowledge will allow to integrate phenotypic historical life traits and dispersion potential within an environment which is strongly affected by human activities, and compare them in close (<5km) and distant (>5km) populations. The wall lizard is indeed found in Nord-Pas-de-Calais almost exclusively on some sunny dump slopes (and neighbouring banks) that form the mining basin. These old operating sites are still linked by (active or inactive) railways, which could constitute the main means of dispersion for the wall lizard (and other species associated with the same habitat). The collected information on this species’ resilience potential to environmental and dispersion changes through the various corridors will be able to support some of the provisions adopted in the framework of the Green and blue belt or which are still to be adopted on the regional level to respect the fauna and flora biodiversity in this particular and unique habitat formed by the dumps.
France