LB 42-354 - Understanding the Impact of Invasive Alien Turtles in Wetland Park: Insights from Behavioral Analysis and Spatial Modeling

Biodiversity is declining due to the presence of invasive alien species, with 14% of endangered species (84 out of 594) being threatened by such species, as reported by MA Duenas et al (2021). Therefore, alien species is one of the primary factors that negatively impact biodiversity.The study was performed on red-eared turtles and river cooters, both alien species of turtles, at the upper portion of Ansan Reed Wetland Park in Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.A sum of 1,000 data points were gathered via location sensors, while environmental data were obtained through drones in October 2021 and April 2022. The location data underwent MCP analysis to study behavior, while MaxEnt was employed as a model to establish the link between location data and environmental space variables. By utilizing drone-gathered data, land cover was reconstructed into biotope type data with more detailed classifications than that of the land cover class in 2021. Environmental spatial variables, including open water surface, islands within open water space, emergent and floating plant zones, road, deck, DSM could be utilized in around 9 spatial environmental variables.The behavior of turtles was analyzed using MCP during autumn and spring, revealing that red-eared turtles had the highest MCP area in spring (April), while River cooters showed the lowest MCP area in fall (October). The MaxEnt model was employed to evaluate the turtles' behavior in both seasons, resulting in an AUC value of 0.8 or higher and a standard deviation within 0.05. Variables such as islands, emergent plants, floating plants, and open water space were found to be significant factors influencing the presence of alien turtles. Using the spring results, a binary map was generated to identify the preferred habitat areas for turtles, and a capture trap was set up in an area where turtle sightings were anticipated. The model was verified when three alien turtles were successfully captured.