Integrating life history variation into conservation of reptiles

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在种群之间表现出相当大的差异，在种群内，个体之间可能存在广泛的差异。这种变化，在一定程度上，代表了表型适应当地的环境条件和资源，并需要考虑在危险物种（SAR）的恢复计划的设计。我的研究计划的长期目标是在当地适应和物种恢复和保护的背景下，在多个组织层次上研究野生动物的变化。我的目标是通过实施多物种比较方法，更好地了解脊椎动物外温动物的一般生态模式，我的大部分工作都是关于海龟的。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。

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.