Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Lacroix, M. (2012). Do blanding’s turtles in poor quality habitats experience reduced immunocompetence and increased parasitaemia? Unpublished thesis , The University of Ottawa.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich (30 Jun 2012 22:01:12 UTC) |
| Resource type: Thesis/Dissertation BibTeX citation key: Lacroix2012 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Parasiten = parasites, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Veterinärmedizin = veterinary medicine Creators: Lacroix Publisher: The University of Ottawa |
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| Abstract |
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Studies in road ecology are becoming increasingly important to determine the effects of roads on ecological processes and on wildlife populations. The fragmentation of natural landscapes by linear anthropogenic features has several negative consequences, such as decreasing connectivity between habitats, inhibiting animal movement, and isolating populations. The barrier effect limits animal movement through behavioural avoidance and mortality during crossing attempts. I investigated the impact of road networks on the movement patterns of Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidae blandingii) from 6 wetland sites in Ontario and Québec, Canada. A total of 63 Blanding’s turtles (30 females, 27 males, and 6 juveniles) were monitored via radio-telemetry during their active season from April-September 2010 and 2011. Road avoidance was quantified, for each individual, by comparing the number of observed crossings with the number of expected road crossings predicted by 1000 movement path randomizations. The results of this study demonstrated that the Blanding’s turtle population in Québec significantly avoids crossing roads, but the Ontario population does not. Roads were a significant barrier to movement of 7 of the 63 turtles and the barrier effect was not influenced by neither sex nor road surface. Preserving demographic and genetic connectivity of animal populations separated by roads is a major conservation challenge for species at risk such as the Blanding`s turtle.
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich |