Aiding conservation of spur-thighed tortoises
Final year MEnvSci Environmental Sciences student Rebecca Smith spent her summer in Spain assisting with the conservation of spur-thighed tortoises in Murcia and collecting data for her research project.
The spur-thighed tortoise, Testudo graeca , has experienced a dramatic decline throughout its range in recent years due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and a cultural tradition to keep it as a pet. The majority of the European population can be found in 300km 2 of arid agricultural landscape in southeast Spain. A recent shift towards commercial agriculture in the region means that is unclear how the species may continue to survive in an increasingly fragmented habitat.
The spur-thighed tortoise is highly protected under European legislation; it is classified as ‘vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and listed under Appendix II of the CITES regulations. Consequently, the tortoise may play a key role as a ‘flagship species' for the conservation of biodiversity in Spain. Furthermore, market trends for responsibly sourced food in Europe mean that there are demonstrable commercial benefits to conservation efforts.
The project Rebecca was involved in uses geographic information software to employ habitat analysis and population viability analysis, to investigate how the (traditionally dually opposing) aims of conservation of the spur-thighed tortoise and the maintenance of commercial agriculture can be achieved. The study area consists of a commercial salad farm in Murcia and was financed by the Vitacress Conservation Trust in partnership with Plegadis conservation consultancy in accordance with the Conservation Grade protocol.
Primary data on vegetation structure and habitat characteristics was obtained during a field expedition. This was then combined with remotely sensed data on climate, land use, roads, rivers and elevation to build a digital model of the farm. The model is then being used to predict the chances of survival for spur-thighed tortoises under a number of different scenarios in order to assess how much land is needed to maintain a healthy population of the species.
Rebecca's involvement in the project is an example of how theoretical knowledge may be applied to real-life conservation; the results of this study will be used to design conservation areas on the ground, which will work towards conserving the spur-thighed tortoise for generations to come.
Rebecca comments: "Going to Spain meant that I could put all the conservation theory I learned during my studies into practice. Planning the research trip and visiting the area to collect my data was a richly rewarding experience, and I'm driven by the fact that I'm helping to conserve an endangered species- something I feel very passionate about"