Determining population boundaries and densities of red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta) : an empirical field test.

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dc.contributor.advisorStone, Paul A.
dc.contributor.authorBeshara, Andrea L.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBaird, Troy A.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberButler, Christopher
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWilson, Gregory
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-17T16:00:48Z
dc.date.available2020-04-17T16:00:48Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractSource-sink metapopulations consist of large source subpopulations surrounded by smaller sink subpopulations where predictable migrations correlate with habitat favorability. From 1996-2003, Trachemys scripta were trapped in a permanent pond in central Oklahoma. In 2003, drought resulted in an influx of unmarked adults, presumably immigrants from nearby ephemeral ponds, suggesting a source-sink metapopulation. From 2004-2006, I sampled 14 ponds, and analyzed migration data from 1996-2003 to select among population models. My objectives were to define natural population boundaries, test the source-sink hypothesis, and estimate migration rates and population density. From 1996-2006, 18,285 captures of 2,087 turtles were recorded, including 622 migrants. The direction of migrations supported the source-sink hypothesis. Migrations were negatively correlated with inter-pond distance. Using POPAN, population density estimates from 2005 were 135 individuals/ha, compared to 364 individuals/ha from 2003. These results suggest that long-term population studies should expand sampling to include multiple ponds in order to account for migration.
dc.identifier.oclc(OCoLC)ocn502141922;(OCoLC)502141922
dc.identifier.other(AlmaMMSId)9973732685202196
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11244/323897
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author, who has granted UCO Chambers Library the non-exclusive right to share this material in its online repositories. Contact UCO Chambers Library's Digital Initiatives Working Group at diwg@uco.edu for the permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of this material.
dc.subject.lcshRed-eared slider
dc.titleDetermining population boundaries and densities of red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta) : an empirical field test.
dc.typeAcademic theses
thesis.degree.grantorJackson College of Graduate Studies
uco.groupUniversity of Central Oklahoma::UCO - Jackson College of Graduate Studies::UCO - JCGS - Masters' Theses

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