110442

Between 2009 and 2019 turtle numbers in Niskonlith Lake and surrounding marshlands and ponds have increased greatly, from 285 counted individuals to 469 adult and near-adults. I wish to continue monitoring the population, through surveys and catch-and-release, to understand the growth it is experiencing, and to identify and characterize key habitat protection targets. I have observed and identified turtles in the area yearly since 2005, and have recorded almost 500 individuals photographically. Captures should clarify the demographics of population growth, individuals’ growth and survivorship and the contributions of recruitment and immigration to the observed population growth. Niskonlith Lake Provincial Park contains at least two areas of high ecological value for Western Painted Turtles: the campsites, where turtles nest, and the marsh at the south end of the park, where many bask and forage. Gross population numbers (estimated with the Jolly-Seber mark recapture method in 2015 with the help of Karl Larsen) do not yield the entire demographic story, nor do they give the detailed information required to conserve and manage the population. My previous studies have shown that many turtles move from place to place in the lake, and to and from the lake and other water bodies. Since plastron patterns remain recognizable for the life of an individual, and I have photographed and measured many hatchlings and immature animals, I will recognize them and know where they come from; thus I have a means of assessing local recruitment. In this study I also wish to determine the degree of site fidelity of turtles, which requires individual identification, hence capture. I wonder if increased site tenacity indicates quality of habitat. To clarify this hypothesis, I will capture and recapture turtles and also map and describe parameters relevant to their life cycle, such as temperature optimization opportunities (building upon TRU student Jessica Zahnd’s 2017 project), forage sites, proximity of nesting sites, and safe migration corridors. I hope to collect data on the turtles on the rest of the lake and surrounding marshes and ponds, so that I may track individuals’ movements, and also characterize and map other high value areas, such as “nursery” sites, which I have not observed in the park. This data may reveal which turtles occupy the “best” areas, as determined by their abundance and environmental parameters. More detailed habitat descriptions (e.g., temperature, vegetation, basking sites, shoreline protection) may correlate with numbers, gender ratios, and size and offer a better predictor of turtle success, and lead to developing a spatial analysis of our area. I require a Wildlife Act Permit