Meeting Register Page

SE CASC & SECAS Science Seminar – Brooding over Climate Change: Implications for Eastern Wild Turkey Reproduction

Join us for this virtual science seminar and Third Thursday Web Forum co-hosted by the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy and Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center.

Title: Brooding over Climate Change: Implications for Eastern Wild Turkey Reproduction

Speaker: Dr. Wesley Boone, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University

Overview:
Climate change is influencing the temporal availability of resources required for the successful reproduction and survival of many wildlife species. Additionally, climate change induced extreme weather events have resulted in direct mortality of wildlife. However, implications of climate change for the economically and culturally important eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) are unknown. The recent decline of wild turkey populations in many portions of the eastern U.S. further highlights the need to understand this relationship. Therefore, we first sought to determine if variability of eastern wild turkey nest initiation date was associated with changes in spring green-up, a proxy for food availability, or abiotic factors influenced by climate change (mean maximum temperature, mean minimum temperature, and total rainfall separately for January, February, and March). Second, we assessed if changes in weather were associated with decreased or increased nest survival. Using long-term data spanning the southeastern U.S., we performed the most thorough and broadly generalizable investigation of associations between weather and eastern wild turkey nest timing and survival yet conducted.

About the speaker:
Wes is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, funded by the Southeast CASC. As a disturbance ecologist, my goal is to provide insights that better enable the conservation and management of natural resources while accounting and caring for stakeholder interests.

Jul 21, 2022 10:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)