This proposal will determine nest micro-habitat availability and selection by spotted turtles, the incubation temperatures within different nest micro-habitat types, and the thermal consequences for…

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.608 - Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species) will fund research to determine nest micro-habitat availability, selection, and incubation temperatures for the threatened spotted turtle at a site in Toledo, OH. The $361,313.19 grant, awarded on January 1, 2025, will support the following key objectives over the 3-year project period:

1. Quantify the nest micro-habitat types selected by female spotted turtles and the availability of those micro-habitats.
2. Record incubation temperatures within both used and available nest micro-habitats to identify locations where temperatures are outside the range of embryonic viability or produce male vs. female offspring.
3. Map areas where the addition of specific nest micro-habitats could improve spotted turtle recruitment while maintaining a balanced hatchling sex ratio under climate change.
4. Monitor for potential poaching activity impacting the study population.

The project will deliver a masters thesis, peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, and a final report with management recommendations to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This proposal will determine nest micro-habitat availability and selection by spotted turtles, the incubation temperatures within different nest micro-habitat types, and the thermal consequences for embryonic viability and offspring SEX ratio to maintain incubation conditions that are both developmentally viable, and which will produce both sexes under future climate change. Ultimately, this research will inform managers as to which nest micro-habitat types are most important in terms of both selection by nesting turtles, and for producing both male and female offspring, in order to maintain viable, self-sustaining populations of this threatened species even at frequently visited sites containing hiking trails.objectives:1) determine the nest micro-habitat types selected by female spotted turtles by quantifying nest micro-habitat use and availability.2) record the incubation temperature within both used and available nest micro-habitats using temperature data loggers.3) use the incubation temperature data from objective (2) to map locations where incubation temperatures are outside the range of embryonic viability, male-producing, or female-producing. This resulting map will inform managers about where the addition of specific types of nest micro-habitat could improve spotted turtle recruitment while simultaneously maintaining a balanced SEX ratio under climate warming.4) monitor for potential poaching activity to determine the extent to which illegal collection is a threat to the study population.deliverables:1) provide the ohio department of natural resources and united states fish and wildlife service a progress report summarizing that years activities. Progress reports will also include data on individual turtles captured, coordinates of nest sites, and a summary of any suspected illegal collecting based on images from the wildlife cameras.2) a masters thesis at the university of toledo, at least one peer-reviewed publication in a scientific journal, and presentations at regional and or national wildlife conferences. 3) produce a final report with site-specific management recommendations regarding amount, locations, and types of nest micro-habitats preferred by spotted turtles at the study site, and where the addition of such nesting micro-habitat may be needed at the study site to maintain nest incubation temperatures that will produce viable spotted turtle nests with an overall balanced hatchling SEX ratio as the climate continues to warm.