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Posted by Ecological Society of America on March 24, 2016

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Turtles are in decline worldwide, but few long‐term studies have sought to systematically explore trends and characteristics in numerous populations of a species over broad geographic areas. Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), such as the one pictured here in a forested wetland in North Carolina, USA, are a species of conservation concern throughout much of their range, but natural resource professionals often lack sufficient information on population dynamics and responses to disturbances to guide management. In the March issue of Ecosphere, Roe et al. found that T. carolina populations remained temporally stable over a 10‐year period in North Carolina's protected areas, but population density decreased with more urban development and increased with more wetlands in the surrounding landscape. Population trends, demographic structure, and critical vital rates were consistent across ecoregions throughout the state, suggesting no need for region‐specific conservation and management. Rather, managers would benefit from targeting local threats such as urban land development and wetland destruction to ensure local population viability.

Ecosphere