Wetland Occupancy and Landscape Connectivity for Blanding’s and Western Painted Turtles in the Green River Valley

Cosentino, Bradley J.; Phillips, Christopher A.; Schooley, Robert L.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/98517 Copy

Description

Title

Wetland Occupancy and Landscape Connectivity for Blanding’s and Western Painted Turtles in the Green River Valley

Author(s)

• Cosentino, Bradley J.
• Phillips, Christopher A.
• Schooley, Robert L.

Issue Date

2008-12-31

Keyword(s)

• Blanding's Turtle
• Western Painted Turtle
• spatial ecology
• GIS
• metapopulation
• dispersal
• demography
• modeling
• detection probability

Geographic Coverage

Lee County, IL

Abstract

We surveyed all wetlands in a 9277-ha area in Lee County, IL with the intention to use occupancy and least-cost modeling to assess how landscape structure affects the distribution and population connectivity of Emydoidea blandingii (state-threatened Blanding’s Turtle) and the locally common Chrysemys picta (Western Painted Turtle). Both species are members of the Family Emydidae. Originally dominated by open marshes and sand prairie, the Green River valley in Lee County is now characterized by agricultural fields, roads, and fragmented patches of natural habitat. Surveys by the Lee County Natural Area Guardians and Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) personnel resulted in E. blandingii captures in this area as recent as 2006. However, the current extent and status of this population was unknown. This research was conducted to (1) identify important habitat features affecting the occupancy and connectivity of the threatened Blanding’s turtle and common Painted Turtle in and around managed sand prairie habitat, and (2) assess how occupancy and connectivity patterns vary for a species of conservation concern and a closely related, abundant species in the same landscape.

Publisher

• Illinois Natural History Survey
• INHS Division of Biodiversity and Ecological Entomology

Series/Report Name or Number

Technical Report INHS 2008 (55)

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/98517

Copyright and License Information

This document is a product of the Illinois Natural History Survey, and has been selected and made available by the Illinois Natural History Survey and the University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is intended solely for noncommercial research and educational use, and proper attribution is requested.

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