Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science - Forestry
Department
Forestry
First Advisor
Jessica L. Glasscock
Second Advisor
Christopher M. Schalk
Third Advisor
Cord B. Eversole
Fourth Advisor
David R. Stewart
Abstract
Passive fishing gear is a threat to the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). The spatio-temporal persistence of this threat and its impacts on M. temminckii populations has not been quantified. I quantified the density of passive fishing gear and the demographic parameters of M. temminckii along a fishing pressure gradient in East Texas streams. Most gear was abandoned and illegally deployed, with densities varying seasonally. Detectability of passive fishing gear declined with increasing gear age, water depth, and volume, but increased with increasing precipitation. Macrochelys temminckii catch per unit effort, abundance, and survival was lower at sites with higher densities of passive fishing gear. This research highlights the prevalence of abandoned passive fishing gear and the significant impacts these devices have on M. temminckii populations in the core of its Texas range.
Repository Citation
Micek, Luke T., "Demography of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii) Along a Fishing Pressure Gradient" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 591.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/591
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
