Impact of urban development on the long-term viability of a Blanding’s turtle population, Lightning Talk (7 min)

London, Ontario

Habitat change due to urbanisation have had negative impacts on turtle populations worldwide. I studied an urban Blanding’s turtle population to assess whether development was compatible with population viability. I investigated turtle habitat suitability using habitat suitability modelling in ArcGIS, and monitored locations and survival 2017-2020 (ongoing development) using telemetry and mark-recapture. I made comparisons to data collected 2010-2013 (prior to development) to assess whether population viability declined through increased habitat loss and lower population size. I found that turtle habitat suitability declined by 10% over the last decade, and population size decreased by 70%. Population modelling suggests that 2 road mortalities per year could explain the decline in the population size, which is likely related to habitat loss forcing turtles onto roads. Moreover, this estimated road mortality rate is not sustainable over the next 50 years.

https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wlgisday/2021/lightningtalks/17