Habitat Selection and Conservation Suggestions for the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (<i>Rafetus swinhoei</i>) in the Upper Red River, China

Wang, Jian; Shi, Haitao; Cheng, Wu; Han, Lu

doi:10.2744/ccb-1019.1

Cited by 13 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In recent history, large freshwater, marine, and terrestrial turtles have been harvested by humans as a food source (Klemens and Thorbjarnarson 1995;Thorbjarnarson et al 2000), and harvest is thought to have caused extreme population declines of some of the world's largest turtles, including the critically endangered Mangrove Terrapins (Batagur baska; Das 1997;Platt et al 2000), the Arrau Turtles (Podocnemis expansa; Pritchard and Trebau 1984;Peñaloza et al 2013), the critically endangered Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtles (Rafetus swinhoei; Jian et al 2013), Tortoises (Pritchard 1967;Swingland and Klemens 1989), and Alligator Snapping Turtles (Pritchard 1989). For many large, imperiled species, population declines occurred during the 20th Century, and demographic studies of natural, undisturbed populations have not been performed.…”

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confidence: 99%

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Folt

Jensen

Teare

et al. 2016

Herpetological Monographs

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The conservation of large, long-lived turtle species can be a challenging issue because their life-history strategies make populations sensitive to changes in adult survivorship and populations may be difficult to sample. The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) is a large freshwater turtle species occurring in North America for which commercial harvest has severely reduced populations throughout the species range. Given recent population declines and a general deficit of demographic knowledge for Macrochelys, we conducted a mark-recapture study of M. temminckii from 1997-2013 in Spring Creek, Georgia, USA. We made 166 captures of 75 individuals using baited hoop-net traps and skindiving searches. The observed and estimated population structure described the adult sex ratio as even and adults as more abundant than juveniles. Apparent survival was higher for adult males (0.98) and females (0.95) than for juveniles (0.86), and we estimated a population density of 13-14 turtles/stream kilometer. The survival estimates for adult M. temminckii are among the highest of all freshwater turtle species reported in the literature. We used the empirical demographic parameters described here and a literature review to build an updated population model for M. temminckii; the model estimated a finite rate of population increase consistent with a growing population (k ¼ 1.036) at Spring Creek, and population viability analysis found the population growing over the next 50 yr in 100% of simulations. Application of our model to published survival estimates from two impacted western populations indicated a declining population (k ¼ 0.563) with a high risk of extirpation in Oklahoma and a population with a slow rate of decline (k ¼ 0.978) but approaching stability in Arkansas. Simulations identified combinations of survival values which generate viable populations and also characterized population structure resulting from viable scenarios. This is the first study to document a stable and viable population of Macrochelys. We suggest that the population parameters described at Spring Creek are the best approximation of reference demographic conditions for Macrochelys to date, and this study provides a general framework applicable for large, long-lived, endangered turtle species for which demographic data are unavailable.

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confidence: 99%

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Folt

Jensen

Teare

et al. 2016

Herpetological Monographs

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“…Science-based management, community management, bycatch reduction. (Fagundes et al, 2021); (Pitt et al, 2021); (Le Duc et al, 2020); (Ihlow et al, 2014); (Jian et al, 2013); (Gonzalez-Zarate et al, 2011); (Selman and Jones, 2017);…”

Section: Accelerate Implementation Of Environmental Flowsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, in the basin system of the Da, Chu and Ma rivers in the province of Thanh Hoa in Vietnam, a decrease in the abundance of fish and absence of the Yangtze giant softshell turtle R. swinhoei was recorded after the installation of the Hoa Binh hydropower dam, according to interviews with fishermen (Le Duc et al, 2020). Similarly in China, once the sand banks were flooded by the Nansha hydropower dam in 2006, it was no longer possible to detect the presence of R. swinhoei (Jian et al, 2013).…”

Section: Physical Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Canada, on the Trent-Severn Waterway, it was found that the dispersal and area of occurrence of females of Graptemys geographica were less in the areas fragmented by locks, dikes and hydropower dams (1.53 ± 0.31 km), compared to females found in contiguous areas [8.51 ± 1.59 km, (Bennett et al, 2010)]. Dams divide populations, making mating more difficult among the survivors (Jian et al, 2013) and decreasing the adaptive capacity of impacted populations as genetic diversity is lost. This could result in increased inbreeding, with potential consequences for reproductive fitness and survival in the disturbed environment.…”

Section: Physical Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impacts of dams on freshwater turtles: a global review to identify conservation solutions

Bárcenas-García

Michalski

Morgan

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Dams create many impacts on freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Freshwater turtles are at direct and indirect risk due to changes caused by damming including the loss of terrestrial and aquatic nesting and feeding habitats, changes to resource availability and reduced dispersal. We reviewed the global scientific literature that evaluated the impact of dams on freshwater turtles, and carried out additional searches of literature published in seventeen languages for studies evaluating actions to mitigate the impact of dams. The search produced 43 published articles documenting dam impacts on 29 freshwater turtle species from seven families (Chelidae, Chelydridae, Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Kinosternidae, Podocnemididae and Trionychidae) in 13 countries. More than a third of studies (41.9%, n = 18) focused on nine North American species of the Emydidae. Few studies were found from Europe and Asia and none from Africa. The number of studies, life-history stage studied and threat status differed significantly between temperate and tropical latitudes. Most studies were from temperate latitudes, where studies focused more on adults and less threatened species compared with tropical latitudes. Studies evaluated dam impacts as barriers and changes to water flow and quality, but no studies were found that assessed turtles and changes to land cover or mercury caused by dams. More than half of the studies (59%, n = 24) suggested actions to help mitigate dam impacts. Yet, only four studies on three temperate and one tropical species documented the effect of interventions (dam removal, flow management, artificial pond maintenance and community-based action). These findings demonstrate a lack of documented evidence evaluating dam impacts on freshwater turtles particularly in tropical regions. This lack of evidence reinforces the importance of strengthening and maintaining robust long-term studies of freshwater turtles needed to develop effective conservation actions for this group of vertebrates.

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“…MediumPartially providing unsuitable habitats for turtles. Dams also impede the upstream and downstream movements of turtles, dividing the population into smaller segments, which make it more difficult for the last survivors to mate with each other, and causing extinction in the long term(Jian et al, 2013;Le Duc et al, 2020). In the Euphrates,R.…”

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confidence: 99%

Determining home range, changes in habitat use with time, and the threats to an endangered freshwater turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) in Turkey

Bayrakcı

Ayaz

Luiselli

2021

Aquatic Conservation

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1. The Euphrates softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) is the most threatened chelonian species in the Middle East, where it is endemic to the Tigris and Euphrates basins. Since the ecology of this species is little known, it is difficult to plan any reliable action for its correct management and conservation. 2. To enhance the scientific knowledge on R. euphraticus, and to establish a sciencebased management strategy, a detailed investigation was undertaken on the distribution, habitat, activity and home range of R. euphraticus in Turkey. The previous distribution records in Turkey are for the 1990s; thus, this study is the first comprehensive field research on the species after nearly 3 decades.3. There was a significant sexual size dimorphism in the Turkish population, with males larger than females.4. Four individuals were radiotracked for 1 year. The mean home range was highly variable depending on how it was calculated, but that of males was considerably greater than that of females by all methods used. 5. A quantitative evaluation was made of habitat change with time. The land cover classes potentially available to turtles in the Euphrates River basin increased by more than 100% between the 1990s and 2018: 92% of this enhancement was derived from water bodies and coastal lands.6. Fifteen dams have been built in the lower part of the basins in the last 30 years.In addition, continuing human interactions have caused the fragmentation or destruction of suitable habitats for R. euphraticus.7. The factors threatening R. euphraticus were assessed and a conservation action plan was developed. Some objectives such as monitoring and creating awareness of this action plan have been met while others are still waiting to be achieved.

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Habitat Selection and Conservation Suggestions for the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in the Upper Red River, China

Cited by 13 publications

References 3 publications

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Establishing Reference Demography for Conservation: A Case Study ofMacrochelys temminckiiin Spring Creek, Georgia

Impacts of dams on freshwater turtles: a global review to identify conservation solutions

Determining home range, changes in habitat use with time, and the threats to an endangered freshwater turtle (Rafetus euphraticus) in Turkey

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