[PDF] The Influences And Consequences Of Nest Site Choice By The Diamondback Terrapin Malaclemys Terrapin On A Man Made Island eBook
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The use of artificial or restored nesting habitats for diamondback terrapin conservation has received increased interest due to its early success and the continued degradation of natural nesting sites. Terrapins nesting on Poplar Island, a man-made island in the Chesapeake Bay, show a strong avoidance of vegetation which, coupled with vegetational encroachment over time, has resulted in a pattern of nest compression within the island's most active nesting beaches. This pattern, while currently not detrimental, could make the Poplar Island population susceptible to increased predation rates. For the success of the island's terrapin population to continue, measures should be taken to remove and control vegetation within the current nesting beaches.
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is an estuarine turtle native to tidal marshes, lagoons, and swamps along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States. In the early 1900s, terrapins were harvested for human consumption almost to extinction, but populations recovered as the demand for terrapin flesh passed (Coker, 1920). Since then, terrapin populations have suffered from other anthropogenic influences including habitat loss, crab pot bycatch and pollution (Butler et al., 2006a). Shoreline development accounts for the majority of diamondback terrapin nesting habitat destruction along the coast. Many waterfront property owners have armored their land against erosion using artificial structures that block female access to nesting habitat. Planting marsh grasses and other estuarine vegetation is an ecological alternative to those methods of shoreline stabilization. This study examines the influence of vegetation on female nest site preference in a Chesapeake Bay population of the Northern Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin). I used vegetation removal in shoreline plots on a man-made island, the Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project (PIERP), to experimentally determine if female terrapins prefer nest areas covered by vegetation or those with vegetation removed. High nesting activity in manipulated plots compared with little nesting in vegetated control plots suggests that female terrapins prefer to oviposit in open areas. Based on these results, vegetation removal should be considered as a means of maintaining quality terrapin nesting habitat where vegetation is used for shoreline stabilization.
The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a species of turtle found exclusively in brackish water habitats. Terrapins are currently facing population threats including by-catch mortality in crab pots, predation, and habitat loss. The expansion of the exotic, invasive reed Phragmites australis is causing widespread structural and functional changes to coastal ecosystems throughout North America, which could negatively impact the nesting success of female terrapins by invading preferred nesting habitats. I examined the extent to which Phragmites affects nesting of a breeding population of diamondback terrapins at Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge on the eastern shore of Virginia, where Phragmites has recently expanded into known areas of terrapin nesting. With data collected from the 2015 nesting season I quantified the impacts of this expansion on terrapin nesting by: determining the extent to which nest incubation temperature is impacted by Phragmites shading, determining how Phragmites density impacts the risk of rhizome invasion into nests, and determining how the presence of Phragmites impacts predation of terrapin nests. I also examined landscape features to determine which factors may be associated with diamondback terrapin nest site use. I found that Phragmites cover greater than 50% would decrease incubation temperatures of terrapin nests sufficiently to produce predominantly male hatchlings. There was no effect of Phragmites cover on root growth into simulated nests, but cover by other dune plant species explained observed trends in root growth. I did not find a significant effect of Phragmites on nest predator activity, but did find that Phragmites had an impact on terrapin nest site use on Fisherman Island. Distance from nest to nearest marsh and tidal creek also influenced terrapin nest site use. With crab pots and roadways contributing to high adult mortality every year, high nesting success will be highly important to maintaining and propagating this charismatic species.
A fascinating look at the diamond-backed terrapin—an important, iconic, and imperiled American reptile. The diamond-backed terrapin is not only a uniquely evolved and beautiful turtle, it also has a long history as a vital American food source. Once so numerous that people reportedly grew tired of eating them, diamond-backed terrapins are greatly reduced in numbers today and have become an icon of salt marsh conservation. Considerably diminished in some areas and struggling to survive, this distinctive brackish water turtle is the focus of intense conservation efforts. In Ecology and Conservation of the Diamond-backed Terrapin, leading terrapin researcher Willem M. Roosenburg and experienced science editor Victor S. Kennedy have brought together a group of expert scientists to summarize our current understanding of terrapin biology, physiology, behavior, and conservation efforts. Over the course of 19 comprehensive chapters, contributors • review the latest information on this charismatic species • provide a detailed summary of the terrapin's natural history • explain the threats to terrapin population stability throughout their range • examine ongoing conservation efforts to ensure the reptile's survival • present convincing arguments for the value of the diamond-backed terrapin as an estuarine indicator organism • use the terrapin as a model for studying the consequences of exploitation and environmental degradation on long-lived species This exceptional book provides pivotal information for estuarine and turtle biologists, terrapin enthusiasts, natural historians, educators, conservationists, resource managers, and students. Ecology and Conservation of the Diamond-backed Terrapin is the definitive volume on this important American reptile. Contributors: Benjamin K. Atkinson, Harold W. Avery, Patrick J. Baker, Ralph E.J. Boerner, Russell L. Burke, Joseph A. Butler, Randolph M. Chambers, Paul E. Converse, Brian A. Crawford, Rusty D. Day, Dana J. Ehret, J. Whitfield Gibbons, Kathryn M. Greene, Leigh Anne Harden, Andrew S. Harrison, Kristen M. Hart, George L. Heinrich, Dawn K. Holliday, Victor S. Kennedy, Shawn R. Kuchta, Lori A. Lester, Jeffrey E. Lovich, John C. Maerz, David Owens, Allen R. Place, Taylor Roberge, Willem M. Roosenburg, Richard A. Seigel, Amanda Southwood Williard, Edward A. Standora, Anton D. Tucker, Diane C. Tulipani, Timothy J. Walsh, Thane Wibbels, Will Williams, Roger C. Wood