Nesting sites in agricultural landscapes may reduce the reproductive success of Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) populations

Almost all turtle species nest in terrestrial environments and maternal site selection represents a critical component of nest success. Females use cues in the current environment to predict the future conditions for embryo development. However, in disturbed landscapes current and future conditions may not be correlated. We compared Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook, 1838)) nest sites selection in a (relatively undisturbed) park and a (heavily disturbed) agricultural landscape in Ontario, Canada, using field measurements and satellite imagery. Environmental variables were compared using logistic regression and AIC based on data measured at nest (presence) and random (pseudo-absence) locations. Specific environmental variables associated with site selection differed between study areas. Most notably, NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index, a proxy for vegetation cover) increased significantly during the year at the agricultural locale corresponding with the growth of planted fields. No parallel change was observed at the park locale where canopy cover remained more consistent. An increase in vegetation cover may alter nest temperatures and soil moisture. Combined with the unpredictability in timing of crop sowing, and harvesting, findings suggest that nests in agricultural fields may act as ecological sinks, and other species nesting in similarly altered habitats may be subjected to the same threats.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author