2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/24/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | GALAPAGOS GIANT TORTOISES STRUCTURE FRESHWATER PONDS IN SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, GALAPAGOS | Virtual Platform
GALAPAGOS GIANT TORTOISES STRUCTURE FRESHWATER PONDS IN SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, GALAPAGOS
In Santa Cruz Island, many adult Galapagos giant tortoises (Chelonoidis porteri) undertake seasonal altitudinal migrations driven by rainfall. During the dry season, they spend a large portion of their time resting in small, freshwater ponds, using both natural ponds and ponds maintained to attract tortoises for tourist viewing. We have documented up to 50 tortoises using a single pond at a given time. GPS movement data of a focal individual showed the tortoise re-visited a single pond over 60 times in a given year and spent 1-5 hours in the pond during each visit. Tortoises transfer a large quantity of carbon and nutrients into the pond through excretion and egestion, leading to high conductivity and low dissolved oxygen levels. Tortoises also transfer a large quantity of sediment out of ponds on their carapace, up to 1 kg of mud (dry weight) per tortoise per visit, and this bioturbation may play an important role in maintaining open water habitats. Tortoise movements play a large role in shaping the physical and biogeochemical structure of both natural and human maintained freshwater habitats on the Galapagos Islands.
- Meta-ecosystems
- Movement
- Nutrient cycling
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Presenters/Authors
Amanda Subalusky
(), University of Florida, asubalusky@ufl.edu;
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Diego Ellis Soto
(), Yale University, diego.ellissoto@yale.edu;
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Stephen Blake
(), Saint Louis University, stephen.blake@slu.edu;
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David Post
(), Yale University, david.post@yale.edu;
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