Golf courses as habitat for aquatic turtles in urbanized landscapes

Winchell, Kristin M.; Gibbs, James P.

doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.11.001

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Urbanization characteristics such as proportion of developed land, night‐sky brightness, and surface radiance had the largest impact on adult sex ratio of painted turtles but in an opposite manner to our hypothesis. The proportion of adult females increased with urbanization metrics measured at 250 and 1000 m. Our results contradict others who found either a negative relationship between urbanization and proportion females in painted turtles (Marchand & Litvaitis ; Steen & Gibbs ; Patrick & Gibbs ; Winchell & Gibbs ) or no impact (Dorland et al. ; Reid & Peery ).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Effects of urbanization on the population structure of freshwater turtles across the United States

Bowne

Cosentino

Anderson

et al. 2018

Conservation Biology

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Landscape-scale alterations that accompany urbanization may negatively affect the population structure of wildlife species such as freshwater turtles. Changes to nesting sites and higher mortality rates due to vehicular collisions and increased predator populations may particularly affect immature turtles and mature female turtles. We hypothesized that the proportions of adult female and immature turtles in a population will negatively correlate with landscape urbanization. As a collaborative effort of the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN), we sampled freshwater turtle populations in 11 states across the central and eastern United States. Contrary to expectations, we found a significant positive relationship between proportions of mature female painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) and urbanization. We did not detect a relationship between urbanization and proportions of immature turtles. Urbanization may alter the thermal environment of nesting sites such that more females are produced as urbanization increases. Our approach of creating a collaborative network of scientists and students at undergraduate institutions proved valuable in terms of testing our hypothesis over a large spatial scale while also allowing students to gain hands-on experience in conservation science.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 88%

Effects of urbanization on the population structure of freshwater turtles across the United States

Bowne

Cosentino

Anderson

et al. 2018

Conservation Biology

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“…). Green spaces (eg golf courses) and infrastructure (eg drainage ditches, canals) in cities can serve as critical habitat for wetland plants and wildlife (Chester and Robson ; Winchell and Gibbs ), including rare or key species. Accidental urban wetlands in New Jersey (Arnold ; Gallagher et al .…”

Section: Accidental Functions Services and Disservicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Accidental” urban wetlands: ecosystem functions in unexpected places

Palta

Grimm

Groffman

2017

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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“Accidental” urban wetlands are formed not through deliberate restoration or management activity, but as a product of land use and water infrastructure decisions by municipalities. Often formed in abandoned industrial, residential, or low‐lying commercial areas, where overland flows from storms and municipal water use accumulate, these ecosystems support wetland soils and plant communities. Research that we have conducted in the northeastern and southwestern US suggests that accidental wetlands are capable of counteracting anthropogenic eutrophication, providing habitats for important ecological communities, fostering biodiversity, and mitigating heat. Because the factors contributing to their formation are ubiquitous, accidental wetland systems are likely pervasive in urban landscapes, accounting for a substantial portion of aquatic habitat extent and influencing nutrient and water cycles within cities. They also provide ecosystem services at a fraction of the cost associated with more traditional environmental management efforts.

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“…Probability of red‐eared slider occupancy increased with higher road density, which serves as a strong proxy for human population density. Red‐eared sliders have been introduced via the pet trade in many urban and suburban areas outside of their natural range (Winchell and Gibbs ) and the individuals we caught are almost certainly former pets or the offspring of former pets. Whether the detected individuals constitute breeding populations remains unknown, but it is clear that the species is extant and widespread in the state.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Painted turtles are the most widespread North American turtle and populations appear to be resilient to intense alteration of habitats, perhaps owing to their ability to disperse and readily colonize modified and created wetlands (Cosentino et al ). Heavily modified land cover types (i.e., urban, suburban, golf courses, and agriculture) may be beneficial to painted turtles by providing enhanced nesting habitat, basking habitat, and increased aquatic plant production resulting from nutrient runoff (Marchand and Litvaitis , Failey et al , Foley et al , Price et al , Winchell and Gibbs ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupancy of freshwater turtles across a gradient of altered landscapes

et al. 2018

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Turtles are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates worldwide. In the northeastern United States, a legacy of centuries of dramatic landscape alteration has affected freshwater turtle populations, but the relationships between the current landscape and distributions and abundances of freshwater turtles remain poorly understood. We used a stratified random approach to select 88 small, isolated wetlands across a gradient of forest cover throughout Rhode Island, USA, and systematically sampled freshwater turtles in these wetlands. We report estimates of relative abundance and used a canonical correspondence analysis to investigate relationships between species relative abundance and environmental covariates. We also investigated which environmental covariates affect the occurrence and detection probabilities of each species. Eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) and common snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) were widespread (occurring in 83% and 63% of wetlands, respectively) and relatively abundant. Spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata) were far less common, occurring in 8% of wetlands, and exhibited a positive association with shallow wetlands surrounded by forest. Non-native red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) occurred in 10% of wetlands and exhibited a positive association with road density, likely reflecting a positive relationship between slider occurrence and human population density. Identifying landscape-scale habitat features that are associated with the occurrence of sensitive species can improve the ability of biologists to identify and protect turtle populations. Ó 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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Golf courses as habitat for aquatic turtles in urbanized landscapes

Cited by 21 publications

References 79 publications

Effects of urbanization on the population structure of freshwater turtles across the United States

Effects of urbanization on the population structure of freshwater turtles across the United States

“Accidental” urban wetlands: ecosystem functions in unexpected places

Occupancy of freshwater turtles across a gradient of altered landscapes

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