LE3 .A278 2010

2010

Herman, Tom
Mockford, Steve

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

The main objective of my research will be to explore the use of ecological data on the Blanding’s turtle as a means to protect and manage specific wetlands and the species that inhabit them. The ecological data will then be used to make recommendations, through Integrated Resources Management plans at two different scales, to combine conservation of Blanding’s turtles and exploitation of the ecosystem’s resources. I propose to do this by: 1. Selecting a study site of known importance to Blanding’s Turtle that also has the potential for turtle/ land- owner conflict 2. Examining geographic range, sex ratios, habitat use, and nesting ecology of the Blanding’s turtle population at this site 3. Combining this data with land- owner information and data on other species- at- risk in the wetland to produce Integrated Resource Management plan for Blanding’s turtle at the ecosystem level at the site, for four life- history stages. 4. Finally, I will evaluate the approach and comment on its possible wider applicability in Nova Scotia, at a smaller scale ( individual private landowner), for the protection of Blanding’s turtle and associated species. Blanding’s turtles primarily inhabit wetlands, which due to urbanization and agriculture are one of the fastest disappearing types of ecosystems ( Joyal et al., 2001). The conservation and protection of the Blanding’s turtle would also serve to protect such species as ribbonsnakes ( Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis), designated threatened by COSEWIC ( 2002), which typically use the same habitat and have a similar distribution ( Figure 1), but have much smaller home ranges ( 0.8 ha) ( Figure 2) ( Desroches & Rodrigues, 2004). The monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus), who is listed as special concern with the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC, 2002), would benefit by the protection of milkweed ( Asclepias spp.) ( Figure 3), which is essential for the reproduction and nourishment of monarch larvae, also found in the same habitat and with a range overlapping Blanding's turtle ( Department of Natural Resources in Nova Scotia, 2001).

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:147