Date of Award

Fall 2024

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Natural Resources

Degree Name

Master of Science

First Advisor

David Burdick

Second Advisor

Thomas P Ballestero

Third Advisor

Jennifer Purrenhage

Abstract

The Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a state-endangered species in New Hampshire that is particularly vulnerable to road mortality due to reproductive life history traits, habitat use, and migration patterns. Successful conservation techniques to mitigate wildlife road mortality include building fences and wildlife crossing structures (eco-passages) at roadkill hot spots. A collaborative research group designed a road mortality risk model to understand turtles' relative road mortality risk at existing wetland crossing sites in New Hampshire and to assess whether culverts at these sites may function as eco-passages. To ground-truth this model, roadkill surveys and wildlife camera monitoring techniques were used to gather data on the patterns of turtle road mortality and road activity. Results show that the model adequately predicted relative turtle road mortality at the monitored sites, relying on an assessment of road accessibility to differentiate between high and low-risk sites. Other road characteristics not included in the model such as traffic density, road width, and speed limit also correlated with high turtle road mortality rates. The number of turtles on the road correlated with culvert openness ratio, physical culvert passability, and the amount of light visible in the structure. Patterns of turtle culvert use, though monitored, were not quantitatively analyzed due to lack of data. Based on observations, turtle road-crossing structures should be designed to reduce road access by installing fencing and encourage eco-passage use by increasing openness ratios and visibility in the passage. Monitoring efforts also identified key locations for future restoration plans based on Blanding’s roadkill, total turtle roadkill count, and diversity of turtle roadkill.

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