Integrating life history and spatial ecology variation into conservation plans for turtles

在其分布范围内，一个物种在成熟时的年龄和大小、繁殖产出、行为和种群间的栖息地选择方面表现出相当大的差异。即使在种群内，个体之间也可能存在广泛的差异。这种变化在一定程度上代表了对当地环境条件和资源的表型适应，在设计濒危物种的恢复计划时需要考虑到这一点。我的研究项目的目的是在当地适应和物种保护的背景下，在多个组织层面上研究野生物种的变化。我的研究项目侧重于多种海龟。从保护的角度来看，海龟是一个极其重要的群体，因为在全世界大约300个物种中，由于栖息地的破坏和宠物、传统药物和食品贸易的捕捞，大约三分之二的数量正在减少。保护加拿大龟类的措施应侧重于减少车辆碰撞造成的死亡率、高筑巢率、湿地栖息地的丧失以及成年龟死亡率对种群生存能力的影响。我的团队最近的重要工作包括对濒危斑点龟的种群生存能力分析，揭示了成虫存活对种群持久性的重要性。我们还对濒危木龟的生活史特征进行了大范围的比较，对彩龟的性别大小二态性进行了大范围的比较，并确定了斑点龟和受威胁的布兰丁龟的关键栖息地并进行了量化。我们对几种海龟在野外冬眠地点的选择进行了量化分析，发现海龟选择的冬眠地点可以让它们保持体温略高于冰点，这可能是为了减少能量消耗和负代谢副产物。我目前和未来的工作包括测试几种缓解措施（例如，人工筑巢地点、生态通道、围栏、巢笼），以抑制几种濒危海龟的成虫死亡率，提高筑巢成功率，这些研究将产生直接适用于物种恢复的科学成果。

Across its range distribution, a species displays considerable differences in age and size at maturity, reproductive output, behaviour, and habitat selection among populations. And even within populations, there can be extensive variation among individuals. This variation, in part, represents phenotypic adaptations to local environmental conditions and resources, and needs to be considered in the design of recovery plans for species at risk. The objective of my research program is to examine variation in the wild at multiple levels of organization in the context of local adaptations and species conservation. My research program focuses on multiple species of turtles. From a conservation perspective, turtles are an extremely important group because, of the approximately 300 species world-wide, about 2/3 are declining in numbers as a result of habitat destruction and harvesting for the pet, traditional medicine, and food trades. Conservation initiatives for Canada's turtles should focus on ways to mitigate mortality from vehicular collisions, high rates of nest failure, loss of wetland habitat, and the impact of additive adult mortality on population viability. Recent important work from my group includes population viability analyses for endangered Spotted Turtles that revealed the importance of adult survival for population persistence. We have also made range-wide comparisons of life history traits in endangered Wood Turtles, range-wide comparisons of sexual size dimorphism in Painted Turtles, and have identified and quantified critical habitat for Spotted Turtles and threatened Blanding's Turtles. Our quantification of hibernation site selection in the wild by several species of turtles has revealed that turtles choose sites that allow them to maintain body temperatures just slightly above freezing, probably to reduce energy expenditures and negative metabolic by-products. My current and future work includes tests of several mitigative measures (e.g., artificial nest sites, ecopassages, fencing, nest cages) to curb additive adult mortality and enhance nest success for several species of at risk turtles, and these studies will produce scientifically-based deliverables directly applicable to species recovery.