THE EFFECTS OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING ON THE BOG TURTLE [GLYPTEMYS ( = CLEMMYS) MUHLENBERGII

Abstract

The bog turtle Glyptemys ( = Clemmys) muhlenbergii is an inhabitant of groundwater-fed sedge meadows in the northeastern and southeastern United States. Observations of bog turtle habitats throughout the species' range demonstrate that livestock grazing has been an important factor in staving off successional processes and abating large-scale invasions by tall-growing, competitively dominant plants—many of which are exotic in origin. The demise of small-scale dairy farming over the past three decades has led to the pastoral abandonment of the majority of bog turtle habitats in the Northeast. As a consequence, habitats are being degraded by the growth of invasive flora, changes in hydrology, and loss of turtle microhabitats created by livestock. In this study we compared the number of bog turtle captures, bog turtle demographic parameters, bog turtle densities, and vegetation at sites that are currently grazed (n = 12) and at sites in which grazing had recently ceased (n = 12). This analysis demonstra...