Science, management, and policy in conservation biology: Protecting post-emergent hatchling Blanding's turtles in Nova Scotia

Hatchling Blanding's turtles were radio-tracked following nest emergence to study their behaviour, movements and habitat use. Hatchlings in the study used different habitats near the nest following emergence, and travelled to nearby wetlands for overwintering. Hatchlings also used moist or saturated microhabitats with ground vegetation cover. High hatchling mortality rates, due to predation, exposure to cold and high water levels, and road mortality, were observed in the study. Risk analysis indicated that hatchlings may also be vulnerable to habitat loss/disturbance and climate change, and minimizing these risks should be an important part of conservation initiatives. Policy analysis revealed that information and economic instruments have been effective in promoting research and stewardship, while regulatory instruments have been used primarily as a safety net. This research explored the conservation of hatchling Blanding's turtles from the science, management, and policy perspectives, and highlighted the importance of all three in achieving conservation goals. Future conservation initiatives should focus on increasing current knowledge of younger age classes of Blanding's turtles, particularly the overwintering survival of hatchlings and the cues they use in selecting habitats, and on encouraging the use of other economic policy instruments and stronger regulatory instruments to help protect Blanding's turtles and their habitats in Nova Scotia.