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、生殖产量、行为和栖息地选择方面存在相当大的差异。 即使在种群内，个体之间也可能存在广泛的差异。 这种变异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加以考虑。 我的研究计划的目标是在当地适应和物种保护的背景下，在多个组织层次上研究野生动物的变化。 我的研究项目集中在多种海龟上。 从保护的角度来看，海龟是一个非常重要的群体，因为在全世界大约300种海龟中，由于栖息地的破坏和宠物、传统医药和食品贸易的收获，大约三分之二的海龟数量正在减少。 加拿大海龟的保护措施应侧重于如何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海龟死亡率对种群生存能力的影响。 我的小组最近的重要工作包括对濒危斑点龟的种群生存能力分析，揭示了成年龟生存对种群持续性的重要性。 我们还对濒危木龟的生活史特征进行了广泛的比较，对彩龟的性别大小二型性进行了广泛的比较，并确定和量化了斑龟和受威胁的布兰丁龟的关键栖息地。 我们对几种海龟在野外选择冬眠地点的量化研究表明，海龟选择的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面的代谢副产品。 我目前和未来的工作包括测试几种缓解措施（例如，人工巢址、生态通道、围栏、巢笼），以遏制几个濒危海龟物种的成年死亡率，并提高筑巢成功率，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.