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A view near the middle of our study site taken sometime shortly before the 1995 Verbenia Fire. Note the dense creosote bush (Larrea tridentata ) community. Photograph by Jeff Lovich.
Source publication
We studied the long-term response of a cohort of eight female Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) during the first 15 years following a large fire at a wind energy generation facility near Palm Springs, California, USA. The fire burned a significant portion of the study site in 1995. Tortoise activity areas were mapped using minimum con...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... human-ignited Verbenia Fire, unrelat- ed to wind-energy generation operations, start- ed on 4 August 1995, about 2.65 km from the core of our study site (Figures 1 and 2). This time of year is near the end of the spring-sum- mer active season for desert tortoises at the study site, with aboveground activity usually confined to early morning and late afternoon due to high air temperatures in August. ...
Context 2
... do know that a significant number of the creosote bush plants at the site were killed by the fire (Figures 1 and 2). As the largest and most abundant perennial shrub through much of the range of the desert tortoise, creo- sote bush is an important source of thermal cover for tortoises when they are above ground. ...
Citations
... Animals that have late sexual maturity, relatively low or slow movement potential, high mortality rates during certain life-cycle phases and/or low reproductive rates, are the most susceptible to being locally extirpated by fire (Gill et al. 2013;Hutto et al. 2016;Lovich et al. 2017). Based on these features, some of the vertebrates most significantly impacted are continental turtles (terrestrial and freshwater forms ;Hailey 2000;Lovich et al. 2011Lovich et al. , 2017Cook et al. 2018;Buchanan et al. 2020). For example, Lovich et al. (2017) documented the mortality of the Southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) by fire in a lake in southern California, USA, and estimated that 90% of the population was killed in less than half a year. ...
... For example, Lovich et al. (2017) documented the mortality of the Southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) by fire in a lake in southern California, USA, and estimated that 90% of the population was killed in less than half a year. Other species that have been similarly impacted are Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni;Hailey 2000), the Northern snake-necked turtle (Chelodina rugosa;McGregor et al. 2010), Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii; Lovich et al. 2011), and the Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina; Buchanan et al. 2020). ...
... These alterations may affect biodiversity support, wildlife habitats, and water quality (Lawler 2009;Junk et al. 2013;Mallakpour and Villarini 2015). With the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires associated with climate change, understanding how these fires affect freshwater turtles becomes crucial for predicting and mitigating their impacts on vulnerable species, such as turtles (Lovich et al. 2011). Hence, this information becomes crucial for land managers, aiding them in making informed decisions regarding fire management practices and setting conservation priorities (Lawler 2009;Hutto et al. 2016). ...
Annual induced fires have caused significant changes in the composition and structure of wildlife globally. These events are particularly critical for species with limited mobility and small clutch sizes, such as small and medium-sized freshwater turtles in the tropics. At the same time, this topic has received little attention and has not been documented in countries with a high diversity of freshwater turtles, such as Mexico. In this study, we report the mortality of the red-cheeked mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum) and the Pacific Coast musk turtle (Staurotypus salvinii) caused by a fire in the north portion of the municipality of Suchiate, Chiapas, Mexico. Specifically, our aims were to (1) register the plant species where the turtles occurred, (2) determine the population structure of each turtle species, and (3) estimate the density, size, and sex ratio of the dead turtles of each species. Additionally, we discuss the potential effects of fire on the demography of these turtles in the study site.
... Turtles are one of the most at-risk taxa worldwide (Lovich et al. 2018b;Stanford et al. 2020), yet are underrepresented in wildlife research on wind farms. Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii (Cooper, 1861)) have been comprehensively studied on a California wind farm where parts of the wind farm were burned by turbine-induced and other wildfires (Lovich et al. 2011a(Lovich et al. , 2011b(Lovich et al. , 2011c(Lovich et al. , 2018aAgha et al. 2015). The mostly terrestrial behaviour of Desert Tortoises limits the transferability of these findings to freshwater turtles. ...
... For example, a study of Superb Large Fan-Throated Lizards (Sarada superba Deepak, Zambre, Bhosale & Giri, 2016) on an established wind farm (16-20 years post-construction) in In-dia found that the wind farm had a low abundance of predatory birds, which increased lizard abundance, and resulted in a density-dependent reduction of body condition for individual lizards (Thaker et al. 2018). Conversely, Spotted Turtle body condition could remain unimpacted in the long-term; Desert Tortoises on a California wind farm maintained a consistent body condition up to 15 years post-wildfire (Lovich et al. 2011c). Our study is part of a planned 5 year markrecapture study, with the possibility of extension to 20 years. ...
Wind energy presents many advantages, but windfarms pose risks to wildlife and habitats. We hypothesized that habitat changes caused by the impacts of windfarm construction and wildfire would alter the spatial ecology of Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata (Schneider 1792)). In a space-for-time study design, we outfitted 28 turtles with radio transmitters in 3 treatments (Control n=10, Windfarm n=9, Windburn (windfarm and wildfire; n=9)) and located turtles every 3–5 days throughout the active season. We did not detect any significant differences in turtle body condition, home range size, minimum daily distance moved, or microhabitat selection among treatments. Macrohabitat selection differed slightly among treatments; only Windburn turtles used wet depressions on rock barrens, which may indicate that turtles exploited early successional habitats created by wildfire. Turtles did not avoid habitats near windfarm infrastructure yet did not cross service roads unless a culvert was present, highlighting the need to maintain habitat connectivity in modified landscapes. Our findings suggest that Spotted Turtles that survived the acute impacts of the wildfire and windfarm construction were able to navigate the recovering landscape, but a Before–After–Control–Impact study is required to understand the acute and long–term impacts of windfarms and wildfires on turtles.
... Historically, fire was limited in the Mojave Desert and rarely spread to landscape scales; however, the establishment of non-native, annual grasses has allowed for fire to rapidly spread between shrubs and effect large areas of suitable tortoise habitat (Brooks and Esque, 2002;. Desert tortoises continue to inhabit burned areas, and health and reproductive output does not seem to be affected (Lovich et al., 2011(Lovich et al., , 2018Drake et al., 2015). However the invasive annual grasses that typically colonize burned areas have been shown to have negative impacts on health and survivorship in juvenile tortoises (Drake et al., 2016). ...
Introduction
Animal movements are influenced by landscape features; disturbances to the landscape can alter movements, dispersal, and ultimately connectivity among populations. Faster or longer movements adjacent to a localized disturbance or within disturbed areas could indicate reduced habitat quality whereas slower or shorter movements and reduced movements may indicate greater availability of resources. The Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a threatened species that is challenged by anthropogenic disturbances.
Methods
We studied tortoise movements using Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers at multiple sites in the Mojave Desert of Nevada and California. Tortoises at our sites encountered localized, linear human infrastructure, including paved roads, dirt roads, and fences, as well as landscape-scale disturbances [wildfire, off highway vehicle use (OHV), livestock grazing area]. We fit two-state (moving and encamped) Hidden Markov models to GPS logger data to infer how tortoise movement behavior relates to anthropogenic and natural features.
Results
We found that temporal covariates, individual-level random effects (intercepts), and sex best explained state transition probability in all sites. We compared relationships between tortoise movement and linear disturbances, which varied depending on site and context. Tortoises made longer movements within the OHV recreation area, near most dirt roads, and near a low-traffic paved road, indicating that tortoises avoid these habitat disturbances. Conversely, tortoises made shorter movements in areas of higher slope and near highways, suggesting that these features may restrict movement or provide resources that result in prolonged use (e.g., forage or drinking locations). Tortoises that encountered fences around utility-scale solar installations were more active and made longer movements near fences, indicative of pacing behavior.
Discussion
These results provide insight into how different disturbances alter tortoise movement behavior and modify tortoise habitat use, providing information that can be used to manage tortoise habitat.
... The behavioral or adaptive response of individuals can therefore influence the evolution of the demography of species. If the demographic evolution (in the medium and long term) of a species, following a fire, is relatively well studied in reptiles (Lovich et al., 2011;Santos et al., 2016), the effects short-term effects on the behavior of individuals are rarely addressed. Two crucial questions then arise to assess the natural restoration capacity of the population: ...
... Encouragingly, monitoring carried out several years after a fire (3-8 years) suggests that despite the destruction of the habitat by the flames, the burned environments are still suitable for surviving tortoises (Lovich et al., 2011;Lecq et al. al., 2014;Ballouard et al., 2021). Nevertheless, this present work is innovative because it attempts here to evaluate immediately after a fire and over a substantial period the survival and behavior of the surviving tortoises.. ...
The Mediterranean basin hosts some of the richest ecosystems on the planet and is home to many endemic species, such as amphibians (70%), reptiles (48%), or mammals (25%). Fires have helped shape these environments in which many organisms have developed adaptive characteristics allowing them to be resilient. However, in the context of global changes, fires today represent a severe threat to Mediterranean biodiversity. The resilience capacity of species is therefore altered and called into question, particularly for threatened species already burdened by other factors (e.g. urbanization, poaching, etc.). In addition, urbanization, the destruction of habitats and their fragmentation alter the recolonization processes of the affected populations.
With a view to limiting the decline of biodiversity, managers must be able to propose and implement effective measures aimed at restoring populations and habitats. But the solutions must be adapted to each context. The effects of a fire can be very variable and following such events many questions arise: how were the species impacted? Are there any surviving individuals? Is the environment still favorable for certain species?
The Hermann Tortoise (Testudo hermanni), an emblematic species of the Mediterranean rim, is considered one of the most endangered reptile species in France and Europe. Fires are a major threat, and the above issues are now crucial after each fire impacting Hermann's tortoise populations.
The fires that affect the French mainland population (in the Var) are recurrent and impact sub-populations one after the other. This observation is not inevitable, populations can be resilient in the face of these threats, but this capacity can vary depending on the context. The 2021 so-called Gonfaron fire is a major catastrophic event because it affected a large area of natural environment and especially one of the main population centers of the species in the Maures National Nature Reserve.
The work carried out by SOPTOM after this fire and presented here in this report aims to assess the impact of this fire and assess the possibility of resilience of the species in the short term in order to consider adequate protective measures. To our knowledge, this is the first study that focuses on the physiological behavioral response of turtles immediately after a fire. This work, complementary to studies carried out previously, is decisive for better understanding the behavior of individuals and the resilience of the species in the face of these disturbances. We list below the most convincing results obtained:
1. We estimate between 40 and 60% of the mortality of Hermann's tortoises directly attributable to the fire in the Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve.
2. However, immediate mortality is much higher in the core population of “Cogolin-Grimaud” located in the Massif des Maures.
3. Within the RNNPM itself, this mortality varies greatly depending on the environment, in particular depending on the greater or lesser presence of combustible material. Natural caches (rock crevices, burrows) allow individuals to escape the flames.
4. A low number of injured and surviving turtles were found, underlining the cut-and-dried nature of this type of event.
5. Nevertheless, it is important that injured individuals are treated effectively, they will participate in the regeneration of the population.
6. If injured individuals show little sign of external burns, internal lesions may have been caused, causing the death of individuals several days, weeks or even months after the fires. Careful monitoring must therefore be carried out for at least 2 to 3 weeks before the individuals are released.
7. The study of the persistence of corpses following this fire shows that the assessments aimed at knowing the mortality directly attributable to the fire (individual burned or asphyxiated) post-fire are the most effective if they are carried out immediately within a maximum of 7 days.
8. Post-fire monitoring of surviving individuals shows that individuals do not leave burned environments for favorable areas and do not show abnormal movements.
9. The "homing" experience confirms that individuals are above all attached to their original place of life, although this has been modified by the fires.
10. Burned environments are sufficiently functional (food, refuge) to ensure the survival of individuals in the short and long term.
11. The vast majority of surviving specimens (70%) hibernate the first winter that follows in patches of preserved vegetation (not burned), it is necessary to preserve these plots when mechanical work to secure access or forestry is planned. following a fire.
12. Also, nearly 30% of turtles hibernate in burnt plots, precautions must be taken on burnt areas so as not to crush hibernating specimens when mechanical work to secure access or forestry is planned.
13. Important communication with the media was carried out around this catastrophic event. If fires are not necessarily the main threat (after urbanization), they represent an important opportunity to deliver a set of conservation messages to the general public and to raise awareness among decision-makers.
The relatively large number of individuals that survived this fire shows how well the species is able to overcome such a disturbance. The species has always lived alongside fires and possibly developed a demographic and behavioral adaptation to these periodic disturbances. Nevertheless, the frequency of fires is likely to intensify and the areas to increase due to the combined effects of land use change and global warming.
The next step will be to study the potential effect of post-fire stress on the immune system of Hermann's tortoises. Indeed, the fire may have caused a more or less significant reduction in the immune reactions of organisms against external attacks, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites (immunodepression). Immunocompromised organisms thus have an increased risk of serious infections with greater morbidity and mortality.
... Such behaviour could increase a prey animal's encounter rate with predators and the time they are vulnerable to an encounter (Fig. 1). By contrast, some studies found no change or an increase in body condition but also noted that their study species did not face difficulties locating food following the fires (Lovich et al., 2011;Lewis et al., 2012;Lecq et al., 2014;Cole & Hataway, 2016;Smith, 2018) and had microhabitats available for refuge (Lovich et al., 2011;Lecq et al., 2014). As discussed in Section V, reduced body condition may also be directly related to increased predation risk in the post-fire environment when prey decrease their foraging activity to reduce exposure. ...
... Such behaviour could increase a prey animal's encounter rate with predators and the time they are vulnerable to an encounter (Fig. 1). By contrast, some studies found no change or an increase in body condition but also noted that their study species did not face difficulties locating food following the fires (Lovich et al., 2011;Lewis et al., 2012;Lecq et al., 2014;Cole & Hataway, 2016;Smith, 2018) and had microhabitats available for refuge (Lovich et al., 2011;Lecq et al., 2014). As discussed in Section V, reduced body condition may also be directly related to increased predation risk in the post-fire environment when prey decrease their foraging activity to reduce exposure. ...
Both fire and predators have strong influences on the population dynamics and behaviour of animals, and the effects of predators may either be strengthened or weakened by fire. However, knowledge of how fire drives or mediates predator-prey interactions is fragmented and has not been synthesised. Here, we review and synthesise knowledge of how fire influences predator and prey behaviour and interactions. We develop a conceptual model based on predator-prey theory and empirical examples to address four key questions: (i) how and why do predators respond to fire; (ii) how and why does prey vulnerability change post-fire; (iii) what mechanisms do prey use to reduce predation risk post-fire; and (iv) what are the outcomes of predator-fire interactions for prey populations? We then discuss these findings in the context of wildlife conservation and ecosystem management before outlining priorities for future research. Fire-induced changes in vegetation structure, resource availability, and animal behaviour influence predator-prey encounter rates, the amount of time prey are vulnerable during an encounter, and the conditional probability of prey death given an encounter. How a predator responds to fire depends on fire characteristics (e.g. season, severity), their hunting behaviour (ambush or pursuit predator), movement behaviour, territoriality, and intra-guild dynamics. Prey species that rely on habitat structure for avoiding predation often experience increased predation rates and lower survival in recently burnt areas. By contrast, some prey species benefit from the opening up of habitat after fire because it makes it easier to detect predators and to modify their behaviour appropriately. Reduced prey body condition after fire can increase predation risk either through impaired ability to escape predators, or increased need to forage in risky areas due to being energetically stressed. To reduce risk of predation in the post-fire environment, prey may change their habitat use, increase sheltering behaviour, change their movement behaviour, or use camouflage through cryptic colouring and background matching. Field experiments and population viability modelling show instances where fire either amplifies or does not amplify the impacts of predators on prey populations, and vice versa. In some instances, intense and sustained post-fire predation may lead to local extinctions of prey populations. Human disruption of fire regimes is impacting faunal communities, with consequences for predator and prey behaviour and population dynamics. Key areas for future research include: capturing data continuously before, during and after fires; teasing out the relative importance of changes in visibility and shelter availability in different contexts; documenting changes in acoustic and olfactory cues for both predators and prey; addressing taxonomic and geographic biases in the literature; and predicting and testing how changes in fire-regime characteristics reshape predator-prey interactions. Understanding and managing the consequences for predator-prey communities will be critical for effective ecosystem management and species conservation in this era of global change.
... : milieu non-incendié). Ces résultats corroborent différentes études comportementales précédemment menées sur les tortues terrestres sur des zones incendiées (Lecq et al., 2014 ;Drake et al., 2015 ;Lovich et al., 2011Lovich et al., , 2018. Dans ces cas, bien que leur milieu d'origine ait été considérablement modifié, les tortues survivantes n'opèrent pas de changement de comportement majeur et restent fidèles à leur site. ...
In 2017 the last remaining coastal population in the Var of the Hermann Tortoise was severely impacted by a fire in the caps Lardier et Taillat (600 ha, cities of Ramatuelle and la Croix-Valmer, Var, Port-Cros National Park and-Conservatoire du Littoral). With a mortality rate of 90 %, the population is considered to be in jeopardy. In spring 2019, in an effort to implement a rapid conservation response (e.g. population re-enforcement), we radio-tracked 15 adult tortoises (9 females and 6 males) found at the periphery of the burnt area. Nine females were fitted with micro GPS devices during the laying period. The resulting location data indicate substantial use of the burnt area by most tortoises. Four females completed long unidirectional displacements followed by sinuous movements, suggesting that they may have deposited eggs at the periphery of the burnt area. The mean body condition of tortoises fluctuated over the season; however it did not differ from a control population. These results offer encouraging evidence on the ability of the surviving individuals to naturally restore the population. However, the very low number of individuals (0.7 individuals/hectare) observed in the peripheral population suggest that this process will be long and fragile. We suggest the implementation of a population re-enforcement program to avoid potential inbreeding depression and the extinction of the population in the short-term, notably in the event of further wildfires.
... A lack of selection between burned and unburned areas and similar body mass suggest burned areas at our study sites provided habitat for box turtles at least equal to unburned areas. Unchanged movements and favorable responses following prescribed fires have been documented for other turtle species (Yager et al. 2007, Lovich et al. 2011, Sanz-Aguilar et al. 2011, Dziadzio et al. 2016). ...
Prescribed fire is an increasingly important management tool for eastern deciduous forests, but relativity little is known about the direct effects of fire on the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). We used very high frequency (VHF) transmitters to monitor mortality, movement, and spatial ecology of 118 box turtles in response to 17 prescribed fires across 4 seasons and 3 sites in east Tennessee, USA, during 2016–2018. Annual survival of box turtles that experienced a prescribed fire event was lower (0.87 ± 0.04 [SE]) than turtles that did not (0.98 ± 0.01) and was negatively correlated with fire intensity, fire temperature the turtle experienced, and litter depth. All prescribed fire‐related mortalities occurred during the early (Apr–May, n = 5) or late growing season (Sep–Oct, n = 1). Fourteen percent of box turtles we captured exhibited damage to their carapace from previous fire events. Box turtles that survived prescribed fires were in microsites that did not burn, moved to unburned areas during the fire, or burrowed following ignition. Home range size was similar before and after burns and sinuosity of movements did not differ in burned or unburned areas. Our results indicate that though box turtles are susceptible to prescribed fire during their active season, they have behavioral and physical traits that reduce the direct effects of prescribed fire. Prescribed fire practitioners should be aware of the risks of fire, particularly during the active season. We suggest managers consider altering prescribed fire intensity, seasonality, and firing pattern to minimize risk of direct effects where box turtles are of concern. © 2020 The Wildlife Society. We analyzed the direct and indirect effects of prescribed fire and wildfire on 118 eastern box turtles. We found that mortalities from prescribed fire are possible; however, box turtles possess behavioral and physical traits that lessen the effects of prescribed fire.
... Renewable energy development has a large impact on habitat for several turtle species, especially Desert Tortoises (Gopherus spp.) in the United States [69]. Utility-scale solar and wind facilities have footprints often measured in square kilometers, with impacts on wildlife like turtles that are not yet fully understood [70,71]. ...
Turtles and tortoises (chelonians) have been integral components of global ecosystems for about 220 million years and have played important roles in human culture for at least 400,000 years. The chelonian shell is a remarkable evolutionary adaptation, facilitating success in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Today, more than half of the 360 living species and 482 total taxa (species and subspecies combined) are threatened with extinction. This places chelonians among the groups with the highest extinction risk of any sizeable vertebrate group. Turtle populations are declining rapidly due to habitat loss, consumption by humans for food and traditional medicines and collection for the international pet trade. Many taxa could become extinct in this century. Here, we examine survival threats to turtles and tortoises and discuss the interventions that will be needed to prevent widespread extinction in this group in coming decades.
... The regional increase in annual exotic species is a concern for fire management in areas with growing human populations, as well as for more remote areas that support endangered or rare desert species [57,58]. Changes in the frequency and size of wildfires in the Mojave Desert are linked to the expansion of brome grasses [59]. ...
Invasive annual grasses are of concern in much of the western United States because they tolerate resource variability and have high reproductive capacity, with propagules that are readily dispersed in disturbed areas like those created and maintained for energy development. Early season invasive grasses “green up” earlier than most native plants, producing a distinct pulse of greenness in the early spring that can be exploited to identify their location using multi-date imagery. To determine if invasive annual grasses increased around energy developments after the construction phase, we calculated an invasives index using Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery for a 34-year time period (1985–2018) and assessed trends for 1755 wind turbines installed between 1988 and 2013 in the southern California desert. The index uses the maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for early season greenness (January-June), and mean NDVI (July–October) for the later dry season. We estimated the relative cover of invasive annuals each year at turbine locations and control sites and tested for changes before and after each turbine was installed. The time series was also mapped across the region and temporal trends were assessed relative to seasonal precipitation. The results showed an increase in early season invasives at turbine sites after installation, but also an increase in many of the surrounding control areas. Maps of the invasive index show a region-wide increase starting around 1998, and much of the increase occurred in areas surrounding wind development sites. These results suggest that invasions around the energy developments occurred within the context of a larger regional invasion, and while the development did not necessarily initiate the invasion, annual grasses were more prevalent around the developments.
... Several studies have examined T. carolina responses to prescribed fire, with turtles suffering high mortality, injury and reduced body condition in fire-managed forests (Platt, Liu & Borg, 2010;Howey & Roosenburg, 2013;Roe, Wild & Chavez, 2019), but to our knowledge, none have examined movement and home-range behaviors in fire-disturbed environments in Terrapene. Of the few studies examining turtle behavioral responses to fire, none have found significant changes to home ranges or movement patterns associated with fire disturbance (Yager et al., 2007;Lovich et al., 2011;Sanz-Aguilar et al., 2011). However, as most Terrapene are nominally terrestrial turtles with limited mobility owing to slow walking speeds (Zani & Kram, 2008), we expect T. carolina to be particularly vulnerable to fire disturbance and to modify movements and space use in fire-managed forests. ...
... Indeed, other species of turtles nest in recently burned areas, sometimes with benefits to nest success depending on fire frequency and return interval (Reid, Thiel & Peery, 2015;Dziadzio et al., 2016). Changes in movements and home range in response to fire have been observed in more mobile mammals (Herzog et al., 2014;Berry et al., 2017), but this is the first documentation of home-range variation in response to fire disturbance in turtles (Yager et al., 2007;Lovich et al., 2011;Sanz-Aguilar et al., 2011). ...
... However, the overall quality of fire-maintained areas for T. carolina may be reduced relative to unburned habitats owing to higher mortality rates (Roe et al., 2019). We caution that these findings not be extrapolated too broadly to other systems, as turtle responses to fire may vary among species (Esque et al., 2003;Yager et al., 2007;Ashton, Engelhardt & Branciforte, 2008;Lovich et al., 2011;Sanz-Aguilar et al., 2011;Pawelek & Kimball, 2014) and depend on habitat type, fire regime and other aspects of the local environment within species (Platt et al., 2010;Howey & Roosenburg, 2013). However, behavioral flexibility in T. carolina may allow for some capacity to respond to disturbance events (Dodd & Dreslik, 2008;Currylow et al., 2012;Dodd, Hyslop & Oli, 2012), and assuming critical resources remain available in nearby habitats and mortality is minimal, long-lived turtles may be resilient to some forms of small-scale natural and anthropogenic forest disturbances. ...
Animal movements and use of space are in part determined by interactions between individual attributes such as sex and body size and extrinsic environmental factors such as the seasonal availability, quality and spatial configuration of resource patches in the landscape. Fire is a common and widespread disturbance process that has the potential to affect animal movements through modifications to the environment. Using radiotelemetry, we examined the contribution of these factors to variation in movements and home range over a 5‐year period in a forest‐dwelling terrestrial turtle, Terrapene carolina, at fire‐maintained and unburned habitats in the southeastern United States. Female turtles had annual home‐range sizes twice as large as males and moved longer distances per day during the nesting season (June and July), but males exhibited greater spatial fidelity from year to year. Turtles at the unburned site had home‐range sizes twice as large as those at the fire‐maintained site, and home‐range size also decreased with increasing frequency and extent of fire, but this latter effect was strongest in females. Home‐range behavior was highly repeatable within individuals of both sexes over time. This is the first evidence that fire influences the spatial ecology and movements of turtles, most likely through fire's impact on the spatial configuration, availability and quality of critical resources. That individuals behaved consistently through time, but differently from one another according to both intrinsic individual attributes and extrinsic environmental factors provides strong evidence of consistent inter‐ and intra‐population variation in space use and movement behaviors in T. carolina. Such intra‐specific behavioral variation suggests applying caution when extrapolating results to other sites across the geographic range of a species for use in conservation and management.
