Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) Conservation Plan for Minnesota Minnesota Wood Turtle Conservation Plan Cover Images Top left, bottom: Gaea Crozier, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Top right: Jason Naber, Emmons & Olivier Resources Inc. (EOR) Minnesota Wood Turtle Conservation Plan Finalized July 2020 EOR: water | ecology | community Page | i Minnesota Wood Turtle Conservation Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................. v 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 1 2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ....................................................................... 2 2.1. CONSERVATION PLAN OBJECTIVE ......................................................................................... 2 2.2. SPECIES DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................... 2 2.3. STATUS, DISTRIBUTION, AND TRENDS ACROSS RANGE ......................................................... 3 2.3.1 Status .............................................................................................................................. 3 2.3.2 Distribution ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.3.3 Trends .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.4. STATUS, DISTRIBUTION, AND TRENDS ACROSS RANGE IN MINNESOTA ................................. 7 2.4.1 Status .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.4.2 Distribution ...................................................................................................................... 7 2.4.3 Trends .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.5. ECOLOGY AND LIFE HISTORY ............................................................................................... 10 2.5.1 Phenology ...................................................................................................................... 10 2.5.2 Habitat .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.5.3 Diet and Foraging .......................................................................................................... 15 2.5.4 Reproduction, Survivorship, and Population Structure ................................................. 15 2.5.5. Movements and Home Range ....................................................................................... 17 3. PAST AND CURRENT CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN MINNESOTA ...................................................... 19 3.1 SURVEYS AND MONITORING ............................................................................................... 19 3.2 RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Population Trends and Modeling .................................................................................. 21 3.2.2 Habitat Use and Movement .......................................................................................... 21 3.2.3 Habitat Restoration ....................................................................................................... 22 3.2.4 Nest Success and Depredation ...................................................................................... 22 3.2.5 Road Mortality .............................................................................................................. 24 3.3 MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION ....................................................................................... 25 4. ISSUES, GOALS, AND STRATEGIES .................................................................................................. 26 4.1 HABITAT ............................................................................................................................. 27 4.1.1 Issue Statement ............................................................................................................. 27 4.1.2 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................... 31 4.1.3 10-Year Goal .................................................................................................................. 31 4.1.4 Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.5 Sub-strategies ................................................................................................................ 31 EOR: water | ecology | community Page | ii Minnesota Wood Turtle Conservation Plan 4.2 ADULT MORTALITY, REMOVAL, AND SUB-LETHAL IMPACTS ................................................. 33 4.2.1 Issue Statement ............................................................................................................. 33 4.2.2 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................... 36 4.2.3 10-Year Goal .................................................................................................................. 36 4.1.4 Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 36 4.1.5 Sub-strategies ................................................................................................................ 36 4.3 JUVENILE RECRUITMENT ..................................................................................................... 38 4.3.1 Issue Statement ............................................................................................................. 38 4.3.2 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................... 40 4.3.3 10-Year Goal .................................................................................................................. 40 4.3.4 Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 40 4.3.5 Sub-strategies ................................................................................................................ 40 4.4 KNOWLEDGE GAPS ............................................................................................................. 42 4.4.1 Issue Statement ............................................................................................................. 42 4.4.2 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................... 42 4.4.3 10-Year Goal .................................................................................................................. 42 4.4.4 Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 42 4.4.5 Sub-Strategies ............................................................................................................... 42 4.5 PARTNERSHIPS .................................................................................................................... 44 4.5.1 Issue Statement ............................................................................................................. 44 4.5.2 Desired Future Condition ............................................................................................... 44 4.5.3 10-Year Goal .................................................................................................................. 44 4.5.4 Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 44 4.5.5 Sub-Strategies ............................................................................................................... 44 5. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ............................................................................................................... 45 5.1 ISSUE: HABITAT ................................................................................................................... 49 5.2 ISSUE: ADULT MORTALITY, REMOVAL, AND SUB-LETHAL IMPACTS ...................................... 51 5.3 ISSUE: JUVENILE RECRUITMENT........................................................................................... 52 5.4 ISSUE: KNOWLEDGE GAPS ................................................................................................... 53 5.5 ISSUE: PARTNERSHIPS ......................................................................................................... 57 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................................