Wind farm and wildfire: spatial ecology of an endangered freshwater turtle in a recovering landscape

Abstract

Wind energy presents many advantages, but windfarms pose risks to wildlife and habitats. We hypothesized that habitat changes caused by the impacts of windfarm construction and wildfire would alter the spatial ecology of Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata (Schneider 1792)). In a space-for-time study design, we outfitted 28 turtles with radio transmitters in 3 treatments (Control n=10, Windfarm n=9, Windburn (windfarm and wildfire; n=9)) and located turtles every 3–5 days throughout the active season. We did not detect any significant differences in turtle body condition, home range size, minimum daily distance moved, or microhabitat selection among treatments. Macrohabitat selection differed slightly among treatments; only Windburn turtles used wet depressions on rock barrens, which may indicate that turtles exploited early successional habitats created by wildfire. Turtles did not avoid habitats near windfarm infrastructure yet did not cross service roads unless a culvert was present, highlighting the need to maintain habitat connectivity in modified landscapes. Our findings suggest that Spotted Turtles that survived the acute impacts of the wildfire and windfarm construction were able to navigate the recovering landscape, but a Before–After–Control–Impact study is required to understand the acute and long–term impacts of windfarms and wildfires on turtles.