Experimental removal of introduced slider turtles offers new insight into competition with a native, threatened turtle.

ABSTRACT: The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans; RES) is often considered one of the world's most invasive species. Results from laboratory and mesocosm experiments suggest that introduced RES outcompete native turtles for key ecological resources, but such experiments can overestimate the strength of competition. We report on the first field experiment with a wild turtle community, involving introduced RES and a declining native species of conservation concern, the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata; WPT). Using a before/after experimental design, we show that after removing most of an introduced RES population, the remaining RES dramatically shifted their spatial basking distribution in a manner consistent with strong intraspecific competition. WPT also altered thei

SUBMITTER: Lambert MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6698372 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature