Meeting Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity, or the ability of a single genotype to express multiple phenotypes, is critically important in fluctuating or changing environments. Developmental and embryonic life stages are particularly sensitive to their environment, especially in oviparous taxa that lack of parental care. Thus, the location that mothers choose for nesting has important consequences on fitness. When choosing an oviposition site mothers must assess both (1) the conditions (both biotic and abiotic) that offspring will experience during development, and (2) the location of the nest in relation to resources offspring may need after hatching. To quantify the influences of nest site microhabitat, location, and maternal effects on offspring, we studied the Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), which has a unique life history trait where hatchlings remain in the nest over winter. We observed nesting behavior at Round Lake State Park in Northern Idaho, and used a cross-fostering experiment to quantify the contributions of maternal identity and nest microclimate to variation in offspring survival and phenotype. Specifically, I manipulated two variables that are important to development and post-hatching dispersal (shade cover and distance to water) to determine their effects on development and offspring fitness. Because shade cover has significant effects on summer and winter nest temperatures, we predict that these factors contribute to variation in offspring phenotypes and survival at the embryo, over-winter, and dispersal stages.
