Integrating life history variation into conservation of reptiles

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Across its range distribution, a species displays considerable differences in age and size at maturity, reproductive output, behaviour and habitat selection among populations, and 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 (SAR). The long-term 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 recovery and conservation. I aim to better understand general ecological patterns in vertebrate ectotherms by implementing a multi-species comparative approach, with most of my work on 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.