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Beard AN, Brown DJ, Hileman ET, Jones MT, Staggs JM, Moen RA, Badje AF, Lituma CM. Influence of temporary emigration on wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) detectability, with implications for abundance estimation. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302170. [PMID: 38625927 PMCID: PMC11020976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Reliable population estimates are important for making informed management decisions about wildlife species. Standardized survey protocols have been developed for monitoring population trends of the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta), a semi-aquatic freshwater turtle species of conservation concern throughout its distribution in east-central North America. The protocols use repeated active search surveys of defined areas, allowing for estimation of survey-specific detection probability (p) and site-specific abundance. These protocols assume population closure within the survey area during the survey period, which is unlikely to be met as wood turtles are a highly mobile species. Additionally, current protocols use a single-pass design that does not allow for separation of availability (pa) and detectability (pd). If there are systematic influences on pa or pd that are not accounted for in the survey design or data analysis, then resulting abundance estimates could be biased. The objectives of this study were to determine if pa is a random process and if pa and pd are influenced by demographic characteristics. We modified the wood turtle survey protocol used in the upper Midwest to include a double-pass design, allowing us to estimate pa and pd using a robust design capture-recapture model. The modified protocol was implemented at 14 wood turtle monitoring sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 2017 and 2022. Our results indicated that pa was non-random and that pd increased with turtle carapace length. Our study suggests that model assumptions for current wood turtle population models may be violated, likely resulting in an overestimation of abundance. We discuss possible protocol and modeling modifications that could result in more accurate wood turtle abundance estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson N. Beard
- School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Donald J. Brown
- School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amboy, Washington, United States of America
| | - Eric T. Hileman
- School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Jones
- Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Westborough, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jena M. Staggs
- School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ron A. Moen
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Andrew F. Badje
- Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Lituma
- School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States of America
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McCoard KR, McCoard NS, Anderson JT. Observations of Wood Turtle Activity, Diet, Movements, and Morphometrics in the Central Appalachians. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2018. [DOI: 10.1656/045.025.0401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R.P. McCoard
- West Virginia University, School of Natural Resources, PO Box 6125, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - Noah S. McCoard
- West Virginia University, School of Natural Resources, PO Box 6125, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - James T. Anderson
- West Virginia University, School of Natural Resources, PO Box 6125, Morgantown, WV 26506
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3
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Thompson D, Swystun T, Cross J, Cross R, Chartrand D, Edge C. Fine- and coarse-scale movements and habitat use by Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) based on probabilistic modeling of radiotelemetry and GPS-telemetry data. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding animal movement and habitat use is critical for the delineation of habitat requiring protection for species at risk. Defining critical habitat requires studies with observations at a fine enough scale to reflect how animals use and move among habitats and include enough individuals to generalize findings to the population. We present results of a multiyear study on 48 adult Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta (Le Conte, 1830)) from two different populations monitored with low-frequency radiotelemetry and high-frequency GPS telemetry. Results demonstrated the propensity for conventional radiotelemetry to underestimate cumulative distances moved and overestimate the amount of habitat used by Wood Turtles. Together the two data sets demonstrate the propensity for Wood Turtles to remain in close proximity to the river and that some differences in habitat use occur between the sexes; males tended to move parallel to the river, whereas females moved perpendicular to the river. The GPS-telemetry data provided a robust spatiotemporal data set that provided a better understanding of frequently used habitat types and features. Overall, study results suggest that currently delineated areas of protected habitat are likely to be effective in conserving these two populations and provides significantly improved, spatially explicit knowledge that can be used to inform further mitigation efforts if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.G. Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service – Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E6, Canada
| | - T. Swystun
- Canadian Forest Service – Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E6, Canada
| | - J. Cross
- Algoma Highlands Conservancy, 194 Pickard Road, Goulais River, ON P0S 1E0, Canada
| | - R. Cross
- Algoma Highlands Conservancy, 194 Pickard Road, Goulais River, ON P0S 1E0, Canada
| | - D. Chartrand
- Canadian Forest Service – Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2E6, Canada
| | - C.B. Edge
- Canadian Forest Service – Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre, 1350 Regent Street South, Fredericton, NB E3B 5P7, Canada
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Brown DJ, Cochrane MM, Moen RA. Survey and analysis design for wood turtle population monitoring. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Donald J. Brown
- School of Natural Resources; West Virginia University; P.O. Box 6125 Morgantown WV 26506 USA
- Northern Research Station; U.S. Forest Service; P.O. Box 404 Parsons WV 26287 USA
| | - Madaline M. Cochrane
- Natural Resources Research Institute and Department of Biology; University of Minnesota-Duluth; 5013 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth MN 55811 USA
| | - Ron A. Moen
- Natural Resources Research Institute and Department of Biology; University of Minnesota-Duluth; 5013 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth MN 55811 USA
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