Lewis, C. (2021, August 08). Depleted wetlands impact freshwater turtles in Toronto: Great Lakes Echo. Retrieved August 21, 2021, from https://greatlakesecho.org/2021/08/09/depleted-wetlands-impact-freshwater-turtles-in-toronto/
This article addresses the effects of wetland depletion on turtles in Toronto. It refers to a study that was done to assess the turtle communities around the wetlands of Lake Ontario. 85% of wetlands are gone from around the lake, and the invasive species-filled habitats are much less suitable for wildlife than they once were. For the study, 500 turtles from 4 native and 3 nonnative species were assessed using the capture-mark-recapture method. There were many more adults than juveniles, which were dying before reaching adulthood. Because of habitat loss and human threats, freshwater turtles are at risk.
This article was very interesting because if there will be fewer turtles because of wetland loss, then other species are also majorly affected. The study reminded me that everything that happens to habitats also affects the wildlife living inside them and that could affect humans as well since we depend on them. This net of reactions is very important to keep in mind because it shows how much humans are changing the world for the worse.
It is sad, how from the study there were more adult turtles than kids because they couldn’t make it to adulthood. You also mentioned other species were affected by the decrease in turtle population, what were these species, and how did it overall affect them?
It is very interesting to look at the major affects that come into factor when a certain habitat starts to disappear from a location. Did the invasive species you mentioned effect the environment in any sort of way?