HARMS, H. K.; PAITZ, R. T.; JANZEN, F. J.; Iowa State University; Iowa State University; Iowa State University: From microsatellites to satellites: A multifaceted look at Blanding�s turtles in Iowa

Humans have dramatically altered the landscape over the past two centuries. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the state of Iowa, where 91% of the land has been converted for agricultural use. This habitat loss has led to a decline in the number of reproductively active Blanding�s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) populations, and the species is now considered to be threatened across most of its range. To determine what specific environmental factors have hindered reproductive success, we analyzed Landsat satellite images to obtain spectral signatures of successful versus unsuccessful breeding conditions. Using 8 microsatellite loci, we measured genetic variation between 12 different populations to compare successful breeding populations to reproductively idle populations. Preliminary results suggest that cattails are an indicator of poor breeding conditions, most likely because they choke the shallow waters that Blanding�s turtles require. The less fragmented, low cattail habitats of eastern Iowa appear to be more conducive to reproductive success than the fragmented, cattail-ringed habitats of western Iowa. Landsat image analysis may become an important tool in the identification of critical habitat variables for threatened and endangered species.