Comparing home range size and habitat selection using GIS: A look into the effect of turtle racing on the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Biology
Minor
Wildlife Biology
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Turtle populations are on the decline for many anthropogenic reasons. It is important that we evaluate human interactions with turtles to see what impacts they may have. Turtle racing is a family-oriented event that takes place across the US. It has been estimated that in one year over 26,000 box turtles were used for these events. This project evaluates the potential effects these events may have on the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). These events use a variety of wild caught turtles that are sometimes kept for months prior to the event. After the event it is common practice to release the turtle on site. The study site of this project is the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR). In July 2021, I collected turtles from both a turtle race in Morgantown, Kentucky and at CRNWR. For this project I wanted to use the last two years of data to examine the home range and habitat selection of racing turtles compared to local turtles. Using ArcGIS Pro Geographic Information System (GIS), I have created minimum convex polygons to assess the home range of each turtle in my study to compare them. I have also used data sourced from Crop Scape to determine habitat selection of each turtle. Within the first year, the racing turtles had an almost 2.5x greater home range than the native turtles. In the second year, the racing turtles had a 3.8x greater home range than the native turtles. For both years combined on average the racing turtle had a 3.25x greater home range than the native turtle. Habitat selection between the two groups varied, as racing turtles chose deciduous hardwoods more often than native turtles and they also utilized more types than native turtles. While minimum convex polygons can be made using other software, GIS is a valuable tool to help visualize and analyze such data.
Fall Scholars Week 2023 Event
Earth and Environment Sciences Poster Session
Comparing home range size and habitat selection using GIS: A look into the effect of turtle racing on the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Turtle populations are on the decline for many anthropogenic reasons. It is important that we evaluate human interactions with turtles to see what impacts they may have. Turtle racing is a family-oriented event that takes place across the US. It has been estimated that in one year over 26,000 box turtles were used for these events. This project evaluates the potential effects these events may have on the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). These events use a variety of wild caught turtles that are sometimes kept for months prior to the event. After the event it is common practice to release the turtle on site. The study site of this project is the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR). In July 2021, I collected turtles from both a turtle race in Morgantown, Kentucky and at CRNWR. For this project I wanted to use the last two years of data to examine the home range and habitat selection of racing turtles compared to local turtles. Using ArcGIS Pro Geographic Information System (GIS), I have created minimum convex polygons to assess the home range of each turtle in my study to compare them. I have also used data sourced from Crop Scape to determine habitat selection of each turtle. Within the first year, the racing turtles had an almost 2.5x greater home range than the native turtles. In the second year, the racing turtles had a 3.8x greater home range than the native turtles. For both years combined on average the racing turtle had a 3.25x greater home range than the native turtle. Habitat selection between the two groups varied, as racing turtles chose deciduous hardwoods more often than native turtles and they also utilized more types than native turtles. While minimum convex polygons can be made using other software, GIS is a valuable tool to help visualize and analyze such data.