Blanding's Turtle Management Plan
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Transcript of Blanding's Turtle Management Plan
UW - RIVER FALLS
Blanding’s Turtle
(Emydoidea blandingii)
Management Plan Clapp WPA, St. Croix Wetland Management District
Michelle Williams, Andrew Usher, and Carlye Morris
2
Table of Contents
Introduction ……………….3
Literature Review of Life History ……………….4
Literature Review of Past Management Techniques ....…………….6
Description of Management Area ……………….9
Management Plan ..…………….17
Budget .……………..20
Ecotourism .……………..21
Conclusion ...……………21
Works Consulted ......………….22
3
Introduction
Our location is the Clapp Waterfowl Production Area, a part of the St. Croix Wetland
Management District between Hudson and Roberts. Waterfowl Production Areas are expanses of
land that are either public land or private land protected through easement programs that are
under the control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These lands are carefully managed and
provide habitat for all types of wildlife that live in wetland environments. They are open to the
public for bird watching, other wildlife observation, and sometimes hunting. (Waterfowl
Production Areas) Western Wisconsin, through Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota,
Northern Montana and up into Canada makes up the Prairie Pothole Region, an area rich with
wetlands. Wetlands are very beneficial to the environment and are home to a large percentage of
Wisconsin and Minnesota’s wildlife, including the Blanding’s Turtle, Emydoidea blandingii. In
Minnesota the Blanding’s Turtle is threatened (Emydiodea, MNDNR). In Wisconsin the
Blanding’s Turtle sits at an average population density of 28 individuals per hectare (van
Dijk&Rhodin) and has been taken off of the threatened list but is still at a “protected” status
(Blanding’s Turtle, WIDNR). Protected and well-managed lands like Waterfowl Production
Areas are important for species like the Blanding’s Turtle because they provide a place free of
human interference allowing the species to make a comeback.
Social/Political Justifications
Like other small aquatic and semi-aquatic species, such as fish and frogs, turtles are aesthetically
pleasing to many people. Many Blanding’s Turtles are taken from their habitats and kept as pets,
ultimately causing a decrease in population because they are not properly cared for (Novia
Scotia). If the public was educated further on how they are directly impacting the population of
these turtles there could be a possible increase in volunteer efforts to help improve Blanding’s
Turtle habitats and create protected areas. If more volunteer efforts were made to bring the
population up to a safe level, people would eventually be able to keep Blanding’s Turtles as pets
legally, like the Painted Turtle and various other turtle species.
Economic Justifications
Many people who are passionate about Herptiles and endangered species could be a very
important part of the economic aspect of increasing Blanding’s Turtle populations. Through
habitat management and population increase of the Blanding’s Turtle, state governments could
bring in revenue through tourism by offering a chance for people to see healthy Blanding’s
Turtle populations in their natural, historic habitats.
Environmental Justifications
Because turtles and other reptiles are sensitive to their surroundings they can be excellent
indicator species for the environment. If their habitat is unhealthy, their individual health will
also deteriorate and reflect the health status of their surrounding environment (Cosley Zoo). This
could help environmental scientists study climate change by partnering with wildlife biologists.
4
Blanding’s Turtles are also crucial to environmental well-being because they are consumers that
are not detrimental to other wildlife populations and are also producers in their habitat. They feed
at several levels of the food chain and will not exhaust one specific species with their feeding
habits, and although it is a large part of the reason Blanding’s Turtles are threatened, their eggs
and hatchlings also provide food for larger mammalian and avian predators (Novia Scotia).
Literature Review of Species Life History
General Characteristics
The Blanding’s Turtle is a medium to large size turtle ranging in size from 7-10 inches. Its shell
is slightly elongated and is black or dark brown on top speckled with pale yellow. The bottom
half of its shell is pale yellow with black or dark brown patches all along the edge (Blanding’s
Turtle, WIDNR). They are most identifiable by their bright yellow chin, which gives the turtle
the appearance of a permanent “smile” (Novia Scotia). The difference between males and
females is that males are slightly larger and have a somewhat concave lower shell to make
mating easier. They reach sexual maturity at 17 to 20 years, the slowest of any other Wisconsin
turtle (Blanding’s Turtle, WIDNR), and they can live to be at least 70 years old (Novia Scotia).
Range
The current range of the Blanding’s Turtle is southwestern Quebec and southern Ontario, to
Minnesota and Nebraska, and central Illinois. Some small populations are present in Wisconsin
and in eastern New York, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia. The largest
populations reside in Nebraska and Minnesota (Novia Scotia). On average, the population of
these turtles seems to be declining, and it is estimated that 30-50% of suitable habitat has been
lost in the past few decades (van Dijk&Rhodin). The size of habitat used by the Blanding’s
Turtle varies depending the span of time measured. In Wisconsin, Blanding’s turtles have an
average habitat area requirement of .7 hectares, or about 1.7 acres per individual
(Congdon&Keinath).
Breeding Habits
Mating between Blanding’s Turtles is carried out anytime between April and November, but
usually in the spring (Blanding’s Turtle, WIDNR). In some regions, such as Novia Scotia,
mating happens all year round. Mating takes place in the water (Novia Scotia). Females create
their nests in late May to early July (Blanding’s Turtle, WIDNR). The turtles choose to nest in
sand and soil. During the nesting process, which can last 1 to 7 hours, females dig the nests with
their hind feet to a depth of 3 to 6 inches. 5 to 15 eggs are laid in each clutch and the female
leaves the nest up to fate. The incubation period for the eggs is around 90 days. Blanding’s
Turtles are unique because the temperature the eggs are incubated at determines the sex of the
hatchlings. Eggs kept at or below 77 degrees Fahrenheit will hatch almost all males and eggs
kept at or above 86 degrees Fahrenheit will hatch almost all females. (Novia Scotia).
5
Habitat Requirements
Historically, Blanding’s Turtles lived specifically in prairie marsh habitats but now live in both
prairie and forested areas (Novia Scotia). They prefer shallow, slow-moving water full of
submergent and emergent vegetation (Blanding’s Turtle, WIDNR) with deep, organic sediments.
They require habitats that can support organisms that make up their diet, such as frogs in each
stage of life, insect larvae, snails, leeches, and small fish. The Blanding’s Turtle also scavenges
for certain plants and seeds. Habitats with these prime characteristics include shallow lakes,
ponds, fens, marshes, low fields, creeks, flooded ditches, and bogs (Novia Scotia). In mid-
October the turtles begin their overwintering period, during which they will stay emerged in the
water and beneath ice, if it is present, until mid-March. Blanding’s turtles require deeper water to
spend the overwinter in and would not survive the winter otherwise (Emydiodea, MNDNR).
During overwintering they do not move much (Blanding’s Turtle, WIDNR) and reside in muddy
bottom of their chosen water body (Emydiodea, MNDNR).
Decimating Factors
Decimating factors, which directly kill individuals and quickly reduce population, consist of
predation of hatchlings, road accidents, and turtles being taken as pets (Novia Scotia).
Due to small clutch sizes and a long span of sexual immaturity in the Blanding’s turtle, hatchling
predation can be a very detrimental decimating factor. According to a study done by the
University of Michigan on the E.S. George Reserve, it was observed that over a span of 23 years
nest predation ranged from 40 all the way up to 100 percent. Nests are most at risk when eggs are
freshly laid, 24-48 hours after deposition into nest, because the mother turtle’s scent draws
predators to the area. The most common predators of Blanding’s turtle eggs are raccoons, foxes,
skunks, shrews, chipmunks, and other burrowing mammals. However eggs are also occasionally
consumed by crows, ants, and maggots. In contrast to eggs, hatchlings are eaten by an even
larger spectrum of predators which include opossums, snakes, bullfrogs, and various birds of
prey in addition to the previously mentioned predators.
Road mortality is also one of the biggest contributors to population decline of the Blanding’s
Turtle. Females travel long distances to find adequate nesting sites and often are faced with roads
intersecting their path. In addition to being hit by cars and trucks, turtles have also been hit and
killed by farming equipment and have gotten stuck in fences that border roads.
Travelers on the roadways also pick up turtles off of the road and remove them from their natural
habitat to keep as pets. Humans also remove hatchlings and eggs from discovered nests to keep
or sell as pets (Congdon&Keinath).
Welfare Factors
Lack of Welfare factors, which are necessary for the survival and well-being of animal, include
habitat loss due to urban sprawl resulting in poor nesting sites and conditions(Novia Scotia), and
salt runoff from I-94 reducing amphibian populations, a food source of the Blanding’s Turtle
(Karraker et al).
6
Two researchers from the University of Massachusetts determined that residential development
in natural Blanding’s turtle habitats due to urban sprawl is one of the main reasons for
Blanding’s turtle population decline (Jones&Sievert). Hatchling survival rates at two types of
nesting areas where compared, one type of nesting site fragmented by residential developments
and the other a former military base that had been abandoned for twelve years. Thirteen percent
of hatchlings died at the residential nesting areas in contrast to the area untouched by humans,
where all hatchlings survived. Also, because of the increase in human influence in the disturbed
residential areas, chipmunk populations increased. Chipmunks are predators of Blanding’s turtle
eggs as well as hatchlings, turning a decimating factor back into a welfare factor.
Another factor that indirectly leads to the population decline of the Blanding’s turtle is reduction
of food sources. In Wisconsin especially, de-icing salt is needed to keep the roads maintained in
the winter months. In fragmented habitats of the Blanding’s turtle there can be many roads
cutting through and intersecting sections of land. The effects of road salt on amphibians that live
in spring pools as well as permanent wetlands, one of the main staples of the Blanding’s turtle’s
diet, have been studied (Karraker et al). Amphibians have very sensitive and permeable skin
which makes them far more susceptible to environmental changes than other types of wetland
and forest animals. Amphibian populations that lived closer to roads, and ultimately salt runoff,
were observed to have lower density egg masses and lower rates of survival in egg and larval
stages. Salt can also leach into the soil and lead to the reduction of certain plant species that are
not salt resistant (Jull). This may lead to a decline in another part of the Blanding’s turtle’s food
sources.
Limiting Factor
The limiting factor is defined as “the presence of one particular decimating factor or lack of one
welfare factor that outweighs all the others in pulling down the population growth curve”. In the
case of the Blanding’s turtle the limiting factor on our property is urban sprawl. It is a
combination of a welfare factor, depletion of adequate living conditions and proper nesting sites,
and a decimating factor, a high number of road fatalities. Even though the Clapp WPA is a
protected area, the nearby town, Roberts, and other rural communities will continue to build up
around it.
Literature Review of Past Management Techniques
Overview
Past management techniques use a lot of wetland restoration and management along with the use
mortality prevention in areas of known high turtle activity.
Surveys
There are a few program set in place by the DNR to help them get a better idea of turtle
populations, locations, and where the highest areas of injury and death are for the turtles. These
7
programs use volunteers who go online and fill out turtle sighting and mortality forms (WIDNR
2014). These surveys can also give them a better idea of areas that may need to have structures
and preventive measures added to help keep the turtle from harm.
Restoration of Wetlands
There are many ways that past management plans have gone about restoring wetlands. Some of
these things include but are not limited to water control structures like spill ways and invasive
plant species control through the use of herbicides, mowing, and burning (WIDNR 2014).
According to G.M Carrer et. al (2011) water control structures can be a very effective way to
manage a wetland area epically where there may be a possibility of pollution due to agricultural
activities. These water control structures can also be beneficial to helping to reduce the level of
pollution and sediments present in the water within the wetland (Carrer 2011).
Invasive Plant Species Control
Burning can be done in the spring or the fall and can be an effective way to not only put nutrients
back into the soil but also to help control invasive plant species that cannot withstand fires. The
timing of the burning along with how often an area is burned can help increase the native plant
species diversity of a prairie along with decreasing the number of invasive species growing in the
area (Pendergrass 1999). Chemicals have also been used by selectively spraying certain invasive
plant species before they go to seed to prevent them from spreading any farther in the area.
According to research done by Bahm et al. herbicides especially when paired with other
management strategies like burning can be a very effective way to restore native prairie plants
while keeping invasive plants under control. Mowing and haying like herbicides have been used
in the prevention of invasive plants from going to seed and spreading any farther into the area. It
has been proven that a combination of burning and mowing can have positive effect on the roots
of native prairie plants by causing the plants to increase their root masses at different levels
below the soil (Kitchen 2008).
Restoration of Nesting Sites
Blanding’s Turtles tend to nest in habitats with disturbed ground or sandy soil (WIDNR 2014).
Due to this habit their nests often end up in areas that expose them to disturbances from
predators, people and many other harmful factors. This can lead to problems for the turtle
because these nesting sites will sometimes be on the side of roads or similar places that put them
in close contact with danger (WIDNR 2014). Slit fencing is put up at construction sites that are
known areas that the turtle may migrate to prevent them from nesting there (WIDNR).
According to a study done by Dowling et. al (2010) Blanding’s Turtles where given an option of
three different nesting sites. The sites were either tilled, mowed, or hand weeded. The results of
the study showed that most of the turtles choose to nest in the tilled site. In order to prevent the
turtles from ending up in places that may threaten them or their nests, work is being done to keep
natural nesting sites clear. This will allow the turtle’s access to the sites that had been previously
over grown. It will also help prevent the regrowth of under brush and trees that the turtle finds
undesirable for a nesting habitat (WIDNR 2014).
8
Turtle Barriers
When constructing roads in areas that are known to have high turtle activity certain types of
curbs like s or d curbs allows the turtles to cross without getting trapped on the road
way(WIDNR 2014). There is also the consideration of placing fences along areas that are known
to have turtle activity to prevent them from making an attempt to cross the road (MNDNR 2014).
There have also been measures taking to make sure that culvert openings are small enough so the
turtles cannot fall into them (MNDNR 2014).
9
Description of Management Area
Our location is the Clapp Waterfowl Production Area, a part of the St. Croix Wetland
Management District between Hudson and Roberts. Waterfowl Production Areas are expanses of
land that are either public land or private land protected through easement programs that are
under the control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are carefully managed and provide
habitat for all types of wildlife that live in wetland environments. The Clapp WPA is open to the
public for bird watching, other wildlife observation, and sometimes hunting.
Figure 1: Clapp WPA, St. Croix Wetland Management District
We will be focusing mainly on the larger pond between I-94 and Regal Ridge road. The
surrounding vegetation is mainly Hardwood forest and native lake-side emergent plants.
10
Soil Map
Figure 2: Soil map for Clapp WPA
Source: National Cooperative Soil Survey, Web Soil Survey
84% of the soil profile contained in the northern hardwood stands and rolling prairies consist of
Burkhardt-Sattre complex (sandy loam). They are excessively drained and eroded. The native
vegetation was mostly prairie grasses. Soils within 50 yards of standing water consist of
fluvaquents (flood plain soils that retain water moist year-round.
11
Forest Cover Map
Figure 3: Forest cover map for Clapp WPA
Source: Google Earth
Land to the East and West of the wetland pond consists of Savanna and rolling prairie habitat.
Directly to surrounding the wetland pond are Hardwood stands to the East and West
12
Management Area Landscape Pictures
Figure 4. The Eastern Prairie Unit consists of a variety
of forbs, wild rye grasses, sumac, cedar trees and
pockets of northern hardwood trees.
Figure 5. The Western Prairie Unit contains many of
the same native species of plants and trees as the
Eastern Unit.
Figure 6. Soils within 50 yards of standing water
consist of fluvaquents (flood plain soils that retain
water moist year-round.
Figure 7. 84% of the soil profile contained in the
northern hardwood stands and rolling prairies consist
of Burkhardt-Sattre complex (sandy loam) soils.
13
Figure 8. The wetlands surrounding the upper and
lower ponds remain saturated year round with water
levels fluctuating depending on annual precipitation.
Figure 9. Extra Photo
Figure 10. The edges of the hardwood forest end
abruptly at the waterfront along the eastern shore of
the southern pond.
Figure 11. This is a vantage point of the northern pond
looking to the south toward interstate I-94. A large
beaver den is noted in the middle of the image.
14
Figure 12. The southern pond looking to the north. This vantage point provides a unique view of the entire
wetland area of the management area. The left shore of the pond transitions from wetland to hardwood forest
that leads up a large, steeply elevated hill that provides shelter from prevailing winds and has direct sunlight all
day. The vegetation road salt block would be located along the shoreline on this edge of the pond.
Figure 13. The eastern hardwood stand breaks the edges of the eastern side of the wetland and the
eastern Prairie Unit. From left to right, the photo shows the break in vegetation leading to the lower
pond, the hardwoods stand, and the clearing of the eastern Prairie Unit in the upper right hand corner.
Figure 14. The upper pond contains several small channels created by waterfowl that lead to nesting
areas in the eastern section of the Prairie Unit and the lower pond. The upper pond is shallow and
thermally adequate for seasonal mating, foraging for semi-aquatic bugs and small fish and, contains
several emerging logs that provide good basking habitat.
15
Existing Flora of Management Area
Existing Flora on site
Trees Woodland and Pond Plants Prairie Plants
White Cedar Willows Sumac
Black Oak Burreed Brome
Northern Pin Oak Arrowhead Wild Rye
American Elm Wild Rye Various forbs
Eastern Cottonwood Reed Grasses Big and Little Blue Stem
Burr Oak Buckthorn Sedges
Trembling Aspen Nettle
Large Toothed Aspen Woody understory
Figure 15:
Top Left: common leaf litter featured on the site.
Top Right: Grasses along the wetland.
Bottom Left: Forested understory along the south East edge of the
Wetland.
Bottom Right: Yellow Arigope spider with its web among the prairie
grasses and sumac plants.
16
Existing Fauna of Management Area
Existing Fauna on Site
Birds Mammals Reptiles and Amphibians
Trumpeter Swan Whitetail Deer Blanding’s Turtle
Blue Jay Grey Fox Northern Leopard Frog
Easter Meadowlark Coyote Painted Turtle
Northern Harrier Cottontail Rabbit Snapping Turtle
American Robin American Beaver Common Garter Snake
Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Grey Squirrel Bullfrog
American Coot Fox Squirrel Copes Gray Tree Frog
Greater Canadian Goose Red Squirrel Gray Tree Frog
American Crow Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel Green Frog
Eastern Wild Turkey Pocket Gopher Blue Spotted Salamander
Red Headed Woodpecker Red Fox Eastern Tiger Salamander
Northern Goshawk Short tailed Weasel Pine Snake
Pheasant Raccoon Fox Snake
Tree Swallow Opossum Timber Rattle Snake
Figure 16:
Top Left: Mating Pair Trumpeter Swans on the St. Croix River near
Prescott, WI.
Top Right: Whitetail Buck moving during the rut at the management site.
Bottom Left: Nocturnal movement of a Grey Fox at the management site.
Bottom Right: Eastern Wild Turkey commonly found on site.
17
Management Plan
3 Units of Clapp WPA:
Management Goals
1. Maintain prairie pothole and marsh habitat health
2. Switch focus of area from waterfowl hunting to representation of historic prairie pothole
region
3. Implement certain structures to better support turtle habitat needs
4. Improve nesting sites
5. Establish nest incubation temperature variety
6. Decrease salt runoff from nearby highway into wetland
Schedule of Management Activities
Year one
Divide the WPA into 3 units: Pond unit, Prairie Pothole unit, and Rolling Prairie unit.
In late fall, capture and radio tag existing turtle population in order to track and record
nesting sites for future nesting habitat implements.
On the Pond Unit, construct structures to support turtle habitat needs such as permanent
basking apparatuses like anchored logs or rocks. These structures will also provide cover
18
and shade for fish populations which are a food source for the Blanding’s Turtle.
Structures will be placed on the west side of the water body because the hill will block
the wind and provide the warmest spot for basking.
Use past snowfall and flooding records for all three units to estimate nesting sites that
may need future flood control.
Observe, record, and mark where the turtles nest naturally in the first year. If there are no
sexually mature individuals, or sexually mature individuals but no complete breeding
pairs present already in the habitat, introduce two breeding pairs in late March at the
beginning of the breeding season.
Observe and record other aquatic animals and fish in the water body, record any invasive
aquatic species that may influence aquatic invertebrate or fish populations.
Plant salt tolerant shrubbery, such as Northern Bayberry or Sargent Juniper, that grows in
zone 4a, in which St. Croix County is included, along the border between the property
and the interstate I-94.
Area of focus for basking structures and road-salt block:
Observe and record nesting trends for years two, three and four in order to obtain enough
information to proceed with management plans.
Year Five
At observed nesting areas in mid-March right before the breeding season, till and disturb
sand or soil with Rototiller to create a more favorable nesting area that is easier for the
turtles to dig into to lay their eggs.
Also at observed nesting areas, take average temperatures of the nests after the eggs are
buried in late May to early July, throughout the incubation period. When the eggs hatch
19
after about 90 days, record the sex of the hatchlings in relation to the average temperature
of the soil at the depth where they were incubated.
Make sure basking structures are still in good condition, repair as needed.
Radio tag young turtles as they hatch in order to track behavior such as movement in
habitat area throughout the day.
If invasive aquatic invertebrates or plants are observed in years one, two, three, or four
take measures to combat these species through either introduction of species that will
naturally combat the invasives or physical removal of invasive species.
Maintain salt-tolerant road-block vegetation.
For years six, seven, eight and nine, continue to observe temperature of nests in relation to sex of
hatchlings. Continue to till/disturb sites right before nesting time. And continue to repair basking
structures as needed.
Year Ten
From the information obtained through the nest temperature vs. hatchling sex
observations, determine if there is an over abundance of females or an over abundance of
males. If the nests are too cold and are producing only male hatchlings, select half of the
nests to apply methods that will keep the nests warmer during incubation to produce and
equal number of female hatchlings in relation to the male hatchlings. Possible nesting
ground insulation methods include plant residue and mulch.
Make sure basking structures and bridge are still in good condition, repair as needed.
Continue to monitor potential invasive species populations and control.
20
For years eleven through nineteen, continue to implement practices established in year ten.
Year twenty
As first generation of hatchlings born into the managed habitat reach sexual maturity,
monitor and record nesting site choice, nest temperatures, and hatchling sex.
Otherwise, continue the same management techniques practiced in years ten through
nineteen.
Budget
Expanses Rates Quantity Cost
Rocks $80.00 8 $640.00
Walk way construction $2.90 36 $104.00
Tiller $349.00 1 $349.00
Gas 2.70 (subject to
change)
10 $27.00
Gas Can $19.98 2 $39.96
Plants (Northern Bay
Berry)
$10.00 20 $200.00
Plants (Sargent
Juniper)
$11.00 20 $220.00
Total Cost: $1579.96
21
Ecotourism
This wildlife area will give many people who love animals and the outdoors the opportunity to
get close with nature and see many animals that most wouldn’t see in a normal day. Since there
will be a walking way placed across the main water body this will give people the chance to go
on a nice walk with their family and friends. During this walk they will get to see many animals
and plants that are native species only to prairie pothole ecosystems. This prairie pothole region
will also be a great place for people who enjoy birding to come and watch many of the native
bird species. Since there is a grassland prairie, a wooded area, and a body of water all present in
the same location giving the ecosystem a great amount of habitat diversity. This will give rise to
a very large diversity of bird species that will be found throughout the property. Another activity
that will be of interest to a lot of people will be turtle hatching. Once a steady population has
been setup on the property having volunteers come out to help with the turtle hatching process
will be a great way to get the community involved and aware of some of the animals in the area.
The volunteers will get to help with many things from guiding the turtles from the nest, taking
down genders, tagging, to taking nest temperatures. All of these things will not only be beneficial
to getting people involved and more aware of the wildlife around them but also help to get the
information need to keep the ecosystem in its best condition to benefit everyone.
Observation bridge location and replica:
Conclusion
The average habitat size requirement for Blanding’s turtles in Wisconsin is .7 hectares, or 1.7
acres (Congdon&Keinath). The Clapp WPA consists of 237.9 acres, meaning it could support a
population of up to 139 turtles. However we want the Blanding’s turtle population to thrive
instead of just surviving, so an ideal population would be about 70 individuals for the entire
WPA. Only about 50% of the WPA is covered in pond and marsh habitat though, the rest
consists of rolling prairie. This brings the ultimate population goal down to 35 individual
Blanding’s Turtles for this property.
Replica of bridge type source:
http://www.boutiquehotelspain.co.uk
22
Works Consulted
Bahm, Matt A., Thomas G. Barnes, and Kent C. Jensen.“Herbicide and Fire Effects on Smooth
Brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) in Invaded Prairie
Remnants.” Invasive Plant Science and Management. 4.2(2011): 189-197. Web. 18 Nov.
2014.
"Blanding's Turtle." Cosley Zoo. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cosleyzoo.org/species/blandings_turtle.htm>.
"Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)." Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. WI
DNR, 7 Oct. 2014. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
Carrer, G.M., M. Bonato, D. Smania, A. Barausse, C. Comis, and L. Palmeri.” Beneficial effects
on water management of simple hydraulic structures in wetland systems: the Vallevecchia
case study, Italy.” Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association
on Water Pollution Research. 64.1 (2011): 220-227. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
Congdon, Justin D., and Douglas A. Keinath. "Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii): A
Technical Conservation Assessment." U.S. Forest Service. USDA Forest Service, Rocky
Mountain Region, 20 July 2006. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.
Dowling, Zara, Erik Kiviat, Felicia Keesing, and Tanessa Hartwig.” Experimental Management
of Nesting Habitat for the Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea hlandingit).” Ecological Resotration
28 (2010): 154-159. Wed 16 Nov. 2014.
"Emydiodea blandingii." Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. MN DNR, n.d. Web. 18
Nov. 2014.
Jones, Michael T., and Paul R. Sievert. "Elevated Mortality of Hatchling Blanding's Turtles
(Emydoidea blandingii) in Residential Landscapes." Herpetelogical Conservation and
Biology 7.1 (2012): 89-94. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Jull, Laura G. "Winter Salt Injury and Salt-tolerant Landscape Plants." Government of Dane
County, Wisconsin. UW Cooperative Extension, 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
<http://pdf.countyofdane.com/myfairlakes/A3877.pdf>.
Karraker, Nancy E., James P. Gibbs, and James R. Vonesh. "Impacts of Road Deincing Salt on
the Demography of Vernal Pool-Breeding Amphibians." Ecological Applications 18.3 (2008):
724-34. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Kitchen, Duane J., John M. Blair, Mac A. Callaham. “Annual fire and mowing alter biomass,
depth distribution, and C and N content of roots and soil in tallgrass prairie.” Plant and Soil.
323(2009): 235-247. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Novia Scotia's Blanding's Turtles. Novia Scotia Department of Natural Resources, 30 Mar. 2006.
Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://www.speciesatrisk.ca/blandings/index.html>.
23
Pendergrass, K.L., P.M. Miller, J.B. Kauffman, and T. N. Kayne.” The Role of Prescribed
Burning in Maintenance of an Endangered Plant Species, Lomatium bradshawii.” Ecological
Society of America. 9.4(1999): 1420-1429. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
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