Water Balance in Neonate and Juvenile Desert Tortoises, Gopherus agassizii

Wilson, Dawn S.; Nagy, Kenneth A.; Tracy, C. Richard; Morafka, David J.; Yates, Rebecca A.

doi:10.2307/1467042

Cited by 26 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Reduced activity in response to lowered water availability has also been found in adult tortoises and other aridadapted reptiles such as the Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum [2,56]. Lowered activity can benefit aridadapted species by reducing evaporative water loss and other metabolic expenditures when water is scarce [57,58]. Although species such as the desert tortoise can escape some thermal or metabolic challenges created by water scarcity by retreating into burrows, not all arid tortoise species burrow and many species face substantial challenges in metabolic maintenance as habitat is degraded and temperatures increase [59,60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Precipitation quantity and timing affect native plant production and growth of a key herbivore, the desert tortoise, in the Mojave Desert

Nafus

Tuberville

Buhlmann

et al. 2017

Clim Chang Responses

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Background: Deserts may be disproportionately vulnerable to changes in precipitation that accompany global climate change due to complex evolutionary relationships of species to historical conditions. Based on current and projected climate scenarios for the southwestern United States, we manipulated rainfall timing and quantity and measured the response by plants and the growth and behavior of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) to precipitation in the eastern Mojave Desert. Results: We found that winter-dominant rain -the current prevailing pattern in the eastern Mojave Desert -and greater total rainfall correlated with greater cover and species richness of plants. Winter-dominant rain also correlated with a higher proportion of native plants flowering relative to invasive plants. Juvenile tortoises grew more rapidly when they were subjected to rainfall treatments that associated with increased plant abundance and species richness, while their behavior appeared more driven by water availability. Conclusions: Our results suggest that precipitation timing may be as important as rainfall quantity when considering total effects of climate change on arid-adapted systems. Further research should explore how the timing of rainfall may interact with aridity or temperature to influence total effects due to climate change on arid communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Precipitation quantity and timing affect native plant production and growth of a key herbivore, the desert tortoise, in the Mojave Desert

Nafus

Tuberville

Buhlmann

et al. 2017

Clim Chang Responses

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show abstract

“…Thus this pattern may reflect sampling variability unrelated with group, such as destruction of the immature's burrows by rain or trampling. Immature tortoises may be more vulnerable to exposure, given greater loss of body mass from evaporation for neonates than adults (Wilson et al, 2001), but confirmation in other studies is needed to assess the generality and potential causes of this pattern for resident immature tortoises.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitigation-driven translocation effects on temperature, condition, growth, and mortality of Mojave desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ) in the face of solar energy development

Brand

Farnsworth

Meyers

et al. 2016

Biological Conservation

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“…Burrows function as thermal refuges and improve water conservation (Zimmerman et al 1994;Bulova 2002). Individual burrows, however, differ in their capacity to maintain ideal conditions and reduce evaporative water loss (Wilson et al 2001;Bulova 2002). The relationship between burrow abundance and juvenile tortoise survival may thus have two origins.…”

Section: Substrate Categorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat drives dispersal and survival of translocated juvenile desert tortoises

Nafus¹,

Esque

Averill‐Murray

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. In spite of growing reliance on translocations in wildlife conservation, translocation efficacy remains inconsistent. One factor that can contribute to failed translocations is releasing animals into poor-quality or otherwise inadequate habitat. 2. Here, we used a targeted approach to test the relationship of habitat features to posttranslocation dispersal and survival of juvenile Mojave desert tortoises Gopherus agassizii. 3. We selected three habitat characteristicsrodent burrows, substrate texture (prevalence and size of rocks) and washes (ephemeral river beds)that are tied to desert tortoise ecology. At the point of release, we documented rodent burrow abundance, substrate texture and wash presence and analysed their relationship to the maximum dispersal. We also documented the relative use by each individual for each habitat characteristic and analysed their relationships with survival and fatal encounters with a predator in the first year after release. 4. In general, the presence of refugia or other areas that enabled animals to avoid detection, such as burrows and substrate, decreased the overall mortality as well as predator-mediated mortality. The presence of washes and substrate that enhanced the tortoises' ability to avoid detection also associated with the reduced dispersal away from the release site. These results indicate an important role for all three measured habitat characteristics in driving dispersal, survival or fatal encounters with a predator in the first year after translocation. 5. Synthesis and applications. Resource managers using translocations as a conservation tool should prioritize acquiring data linking habitat to fitness. In particular, for species that depend on avoiding detection, refuges such as burrows and habitat that improved concealment had notable ability to improve the survival and dispersal. Our study on juvenile Mojave desert tortoises showed that refuge availability or the distributions of habitat appropriate for concealment are important considerations for identifying translocation sites for species highly dependent on crypsis, camouflage or other forms of habitat matching.

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Water Balance in Neonate and Juvenile Desert Tortoises, Gopherus agassizii

Cited by 26 publications

References 17 publications

Precipitation quantity and timing affect native plant production and growth of a key herbivore, the desert tortoise, in the Mojave Desert

Precipitation quantity and timing affect native plant production and growth of a key herbivore, the desert tortoise, in the Mojave Desert

Mitigation-driven translocation effects on temperature, condition, growth, and mortality of Mojave desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ) in the face of solar energy development

Habitat drives dispersal and survival of translocated juvenile desert tortoises

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