The spatial scales at which ecological phenomena are viewed constrain the results of interactions between species and their environments. In lake ecosystems, important dynamics have been identified at the landscape scale and the macrohabitat scale. To determine if landscape-scale effects and macrohabitat-scale effects are important in survival and growth of young June suckers, we compared variation among sites in Utah Lake. Large semi-permeable cages were used to house June suckers in situ at five sites representing landscape-scale variation and two sites representing macrohabitat-scale variation in Utah Lake. We compared survival and growth among sites and related it to resource availability (zooplankton abundances), temperature, and disturbance regime to determine if these were possible drivers of variation. Provo Bay had the highest mean survival and high survival in all four cages. Growth differed among sites: Provo Bay and the northwest site had the highest and lowest mean growth rates, respectively. Survival was higher in vegetated water than open water, whereas growth was significantly higher in open water. Zooplankton densities were highest in Provo Bay and the open water habitat, suggesting a positive relationship between food abundance and growth. Temperature patterns were not consistent with differences in growth among sites. Disturbance was greater in the open lake, which may partly explain the higher survival rates in Provo Bay.

Box turtle (Terrapene carolina) populations are steadily declining due their unique natural history, effects of climate change, and anthropogenic land use change. There is a need for updated information on box turtle space and micro and macro-habitat use to inform conservation efforts. This study used VHF radiotelemetry and GPS data loggers to examine box turtle space and habitat use in North Texas. Box turtle home range sizes averaged 6.6ha (range = 0.79 - 18.08, n = 23), and males (n = 9) had larger home ranges than females (n = 14; W = 31.5, P = 0.05). Home range size was best explained by a combination of variables including sex and body size, but overall, home ranges that consisted of higher percentages of suitable box turtle habitat were smaller. Box turtles used deciduous forest more than expected and wetlands less than expected by chance (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.0001). The most informative variable for box turtle macrohabitat selection was NDVI. Box turtles selected microhabitats with a higher percent litter (t = -2.16, P < 0.05) and understory cover (t = -5.03, P < 0.05). The results of CART analysis showed the nested importance of macro- and microhabitat and identified NDVI as the most important variable for predicting suitable box turtle habitat. Given these results, we postulate that NDVI can be used to identify suitable box turtle habitat at landscape scales to aid in management and conservation efforts. We found that three-toed box turtles are using habitat differently than what has been reported in eastern box turtles, providing support for the theory that three-toed box turtles should be classified as a separate species.

A Ilha de São Sebastião está localizada em um dos remanescentes de Mata Atlântica e, apesar de sua importância, o conhecimento sobre as taxocenoses da herpetofauna ainda é fragmentado. Assim, considerando a inexistência de dados, este trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da ecologia da herpetofauna, enfocando os seguintes aspectos: composição, riqueza, dominância, abundância relativa, uso do ambiente e uso do substrato. Para a amostragem de campo, foram utilizados os métodos armadilha de interceptação e queda, armadilha de funil, procura visual limitada por tempo, procura de carro e encontro casual. Os dados de campo foram complementados por dados de coleções científicas e literatura. Foram registradas 34 espécies de anfíbios anuros, um anfíbio gimnofiono, um anfisbenídeo, dez lagartos, 26 serpentes e um quelônio. Serapilheira, arbusto e solo foram os substratos mais utilizados pela herpetofauna. A maioria das espécies é especialista. A distribuição das espécies indica que ocorre estruturação das taxocenoses, com maior diversidade na altitude intermediária. / The ilha de São Sebastião is located in one of the most representative remnants of the Atlantic forest, and although its great importance, the knowledge of herpetofaunal assemblages remain poorly known, mainly in ecology. Thus, considering the data or quantitative studies absence, this work goal the herpetofaunal ecology, focusing: composition, richness, dominance, relative abundance, habitat use and macrobabitat use. Fieldwork included pitfall traps with drift fences, funnel traps, time constrained search, sampling by car and incidental encounters. The fieldwork data was complemented by herpetological collections and literature records. We recorded 34 species of anuran amphibians, one gymnophiona, one amphisbenid, ten lizards, 26 species of snakes and one turtle. There were many differences on macrohabitat use, and the main were litter, shrub and ground. The most of species is specialist in the macrohabitat use. In the habitat use, the species distribution shows that the assemblage structure is complex, with superior diversity in the intermediate altitude.

A Ilha de São Sebastião está localizada em um dos remanescentes de Mata Atlântica e, apesar de sua importância, o conhecimento sobre as taxocenoses da herpetofauna ainda é fragmentado. Assim, considerando a inexistência de dados, este trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da ecologia da herpetofauna, enfocando os seguintes aspectos: composição, riqueza, dominância, abundância relativa, uso do ambiente e uso do substrato. Para a amostragem de campo, foram utilizados os métodos armadilha de interceptação e queda, armadilha de funil, procura visual limitada por tempo, procura de carro e encontro casual. Os dados de campo foram complementados por dados de coleções científicas e literatura. Foram registradas 34 espécies de anfíbios anuros, um anfíbio gimnofiono, um anfisbenídeo, dez lagartos, 26 serpentes e um quelônio. Serapilheira, arbusto e solo foram os substratos mais utilizados pela herpetofauna. A maioria das espécies é especialista. A distribuição das espécies indica que ocorre estruturação das taxocenoses, com maior diversidade na altitude intermediária. / The ilha de São Sebastião is located in one of the most representative remnants of the Atlantic forest, and although its great importance, the knowledge of herpetofaunal assemblages remain poorly known, mainly in ecology. Thus, considering the data or quantitative studies absence, this work goal the herpetofaunal ecology, focusing: composition, richness, dominance, relative abundance, habitat use and macrobabitat use. Fieldwork included pitfall traps with drift fences, funnel traps, time constrained search, sampling by car and incidental encounters. The fieldwork data was complemented by herpetological collections and literature records. We recorded 34 species of anuran amphibians, one gymnophiona, one amphisbenid, ten lizards, 26 species of snakes and one turtle. There were many differences on macrohabitat use, and the main were litter, shrub and ground. The most of species is specialist in the macrohabitat use. In the habitat use, the species distribution shows that the assemblage structure is complex, with superior diversity in the intermediate altitude.