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Habitat Use and Nest-Site Characteristics of Ohio and Michigan Populations of Two Imperiled Freshwater Turtle Species

Carter, Sarah Elizabeth
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7068-4485
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1639931278465412

Abstract Details

2021, Master of Science, University of Toledo, Biology (Ecology).
Habitat loss and fragmentation are two spatial process that can have negative impacts on several aspects of an organism’s ecology via changes in the spatial characteristics of a landscape. Spatial structure at the macrohabitat scale, such as heterogeneity and fragmentation by roadways, can affect the habitat use by and the distribution of a population. At a finer scale, habitat composition can impact the population structure of species with temporally variable habitat requirements, such as turtles, which use different habitats for different life activities. In particular, nesting habitat used by turtles can affect multiple life stages, as female face trade-offs in maternal versus offspring survival when choosing a nest-site, and microhabitat characteristics of a nest-site can influence offspring phenotype. Because many turtle species are threatened or endangered and exist in small, isolated populations, characterizing the habitat use with a focus on reproductive activities is critical to conservation efforts. Specifically, identifying the macro- and microhabitat characteristics associated with female survival and nest-success is critical to the implementation of successful conservation plans for these long-lived animals, as population decline in turtles is difficult to recognize before a critical point. Moreover, understanding the relationship between spatial structure and the habitat use of species at the population level is important for site-specific conservation efforts. In Ohio and Michigan, eastern box and spotted turtles are two species of imperiled freshwater turtles which exist adjacent to each other in habitats with varying levels of anthropogenic modification and disturbance. Here I characterized the macro- and microhabitat characteristics of habitat used by adult females of both species. At the macrohabitat scale, I quantified the heterogeneity and fragmentation of habitat available to females, as well as quantified the distance to the nearest roads and edges of nest sites. At the microhabitat scale, I quantified the shade cover, nest depth, thermal regime of nest sites of each species in each population. In my first chapter I modeled the relationship between home range size and habitat fragmentation, and habitat heterogeneity and nesting foray distance in Ohio populations of both species. In my second chapter, I characterized the macro- and microhabitat characteristics of nest sites used by both species in both state populations and used those characteristics to model nest predation and nest success, as well as compared nest-site characteristics between populations. I also used nest-site microhabitat characteristics to predict thermal regime of nests. My results provide evidence that habitat characteristics at both the macro-and microhabitat scales can impact multiple life stages, and that there are significant differences in nest-site characteristics between the Ohio and Michigan populations of both species. This study provides site-specific information on the habitat use and nest-site characteristics of eastern box and spotted turtle populations in northwest Ohio and southern Michigan, highlighting the importance of using site-specific information to inform wildlife conservation strategies.
Jeanine Refsnider (Advisor)
Jonathan Bossenbroek (Committee Member)
Henry Streby (Committee Member)
153 p.
Biology; Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology
freshwater turtles; landscape ecology; home range; nesting ecology; spotted turtle; eastern box turtle; Clemmys guttata; Terrapene c. carolina; nest temperature

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Carter, S. E. (2021). Habitat Use and Nest-Site Characteristics of Ohio and Michigan Populations of Two Imperiled Freshwater Turtle Species [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1639931278465412

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Carter, Sarah. Habitat Use and Nest-Site Characteristics of Ohio and Michigan Populations of Two Imperiled Freshwater Turtle Species. 2021. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1639931278465412.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Carter, Sarah. "Habitat Use and Nest-Site Characteristics of Ohio and Michigan Populations of Two Imperiled Freshwater Turtle Species." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1639931278465412

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1639931278465412
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This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.