Literaturdatenbank
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Saumure, R. A., Titman, R. D., & Herman, T. B. , Effects of haying and agricultural practices on an imperiled species: the north american wood turtle, glyptemys insculpta. Paper presented at Turtle Survival Alliance 2006 Annual Meeting.
Added by: Admin (13 Dec 2008 22:23:54 UTC) |
| Resource type: Proceedings Article BibTeX citation key: Saumure2006a View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Habitat = habitat, Nordamerika = North America, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises Creators: Herman, Saumure, Titman Collection: Turtle Survival Alliance 2006 Annual Meeting |
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| Abstract |
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The impact of agricultural practices on a population of wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) in southern Québec, Canada was investigated. Of 30 turtles followed via radio-telemetry, 20% died as a result of agricultural activities. Annual survivorship (S) of adults was 0.904 and 0.868 and for juveniles it was 0.815 and 0.831 for 1998 and 1999, respectively. Among adults, survivorship of males and females did not differ. Of those turtles that survived, many had injuries inflicted by disc mowers and tedders. Adult mutilation rates were 90% ± 3% in both years; whereas, the maximum frequency reported for juveniles was 57%. A Carapace Mutilation Index (CMI) was derived in order to quantify the distribution and severity of injuries. CMI values for males, females, and juveniles were 0.20, 0.14, and 0.07, respectively. Only male and juvenile CMI differed significantly. Adults had significantly more carapace injuries and limb amputations on their right sides. This bilateral asymmetry of injuries most likely resulted from of a combination of turtle flight behavior, hayfield-river orientation, mower type, and harvesting practices. We reiterate the recommendations of forage researchers: setting the cutting height of disc mowers to 100 mm (4 inches) increases harvest yields, reduces wear on machinery, and decreases soil erosion. A by-product of such a change in cutting height is that turtle mortality and injury rates also should be reduced, as wood turtle carapace height is < 87 mm. Without changes in agricultural practices, this population will be extirpated.
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