Woodlands in the Australian subtropics could quickly become havens for native lizards if cleared areas are left to regrow.
Researchers were surprised to find that “young” regrowth areas - 10 to 20 years old - with much smaller trees could still provide high quality habitat.
In turn, reptiles such as skinks, dragons, and geckos help restore the woodland ecosystems by providing links in the food chain.
The research found that Queensland has the best opportunity to restore its biodiversity because it has 700,000 hectares of land that are suitable for regrowth.
Read more at The University of Queensland