Observations in my yard

I have decided to make observations in my yard in Victoria, BC, Canada. The coordinates are 48.59223929250551, -123.42264683653914. I made my initial observation on May 10^th, 2023 at approximately 2:00 PM. It was 19°C and sunny, with 6km/h wind. Even though it is May and we are still in the spring, the weather felt very much like summer. The area of my observation is most of my yard, which is approximately 250 m². My yard is mostly grass, with some darker more shaded areas which house many small lizards. There are also lots of plants, including flowers and trees. The presence of lizards in my yard is of particular interest to me. In my neighbourhood and some surrounding areas, there is a very high number of invasive lizards. Any area with increased sun exposure is often filled with sunbathing lizards, who scurry off into their homes when you get too close. They can be found almost everywhere, from rocks, to the grass, to planters, and even on my back porch.

Three interesting questions I may want to study based on my observations:

• What impact does the presence of these invasive lizard species have on the native lizards in the area? How many lizards are native species within my area of observation?
• What relationship do the invasive lizards have with the plants in my area of observation? Does their presence affect plant health? Do the plants have any effect on the lizards’ health?
• This invasive species of lizard has been present in my yard since my family and I moved in 13 years ago, and they likely lived here before us. What about this environment has helped sustain their life here and how does this environment compare to their native home? What differences are there between this environment and the ones in which they come from? Have they had to make changes over time to better survive in their non-native environment?