{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/45754"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/45754","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Population and habitat ecology of the river cooter (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River, W.V.","abstract":"During 1984-85 I investigated population ecology and habitat relationships of river cooters (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River (NRGNR), West Virginia. Cooter colonies occurred in 3 pool habitats characterized by slow current velocities (x=0.22m/s), shallow water (0-2m), aquatic macrophyte beds, and basking sites. The estimated adult population during summer 1985 was 64 individuals. Six, 25%, and 35% of the captures at the three study sites respectively, were juveniles. Most hatchling cooters apparently overwintered in the nest and emerged in April. Juvenile growth was rapid and linear until 6 years of age. Adult female cooters were larger (P=0.03) and heavier (P=0.0004) than males. Adult cooters consumed mostly eelgrass (Vallisneria americanaElodea canadensis), although some crayfish remains were found in fecal samples. Juveniles consumed vegetation as well as invertebrates and fish. Cooters did not move out of the pool habitats in which they were marked. Movements within pool habitats were influenced by basking site availability and location, which varied with river flow fluctuations. Two radio-marked cooters wintered in shallow backwater channels. Potential factors limiting the population are collecting and high artificial summer flows which scour weed beds. Addition of basking sites may increase habitat suitability for cooters.","abstract_html":"During 1984-85 I investigated population ecology and habitat relationships of river cooters (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River (NRGNR), West Virginia. Cooter colonies occurred in 3 pool habitats characterized by slow current velocities (x=0.22m/s), shallow water (0-2m), aquatic macrophyte beds, and basking sites. The estimated adult population during summer 1985 was 64 individuals. Six, 25%, and 35% of the captures at the three study sites respectively, were juveniles. Most hatchling cooters apparently overwintered in the nest and emerged in April. Juvenile growth was rapid and linear until 6 years of age. Adult female cooters were larger (P=0.03) and heavier (P=0.0004) than males. Adult cooters consumed mostly eelgrass (Vallisneria americanaElodea canadensis), although some crayfish remains were found in fecal samples. Juveniles consumed vegetation as well as invertebrates and fish. Cooters did not move out of the pool habitats in which they were marked. Movements within pool habitats were influenced by basking site availability and location, which varied with river flow fluctuations. Two radio-marked cooters wintered in shallow backwater channels. Potential factors limiting the population are collecting and high artificial summer flows which scour weed beds. Addition of basking sites may increase habitat suitability for cooters.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Buhlmann, Kurt Andrew"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences","degree_department":"Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Vaughan, Michael R."],"committee_members":["Fraser, James D.","Stauffer, Dean F."],"year":1986,"date_issued":"1986-09-08","date_published":"1986-09-08","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:55Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-11152013-040500"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-11152013-040500","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45754","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Vaughan, Michael R."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Fraser, James D.","Stauffer, Dean F."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Buhlmann, Kurt Andrew"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:49:49Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:49:49Z","2013-11-15"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1986-09-08"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-11152013-040500"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45754"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["During 1984-85 I investigated population ecology and habitat relationships of river cooters (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River (NRGNR), West Virginia. Cooter colonies occurred in 3 pool habitats characterized by slow current velocities (x=0.22m/s), shallow water (0-2m), aquatic macrophyte beds, and basking sites. The estimated adult population during summer 1985 was 64 individuals. Six, 25%, and 35% of the captures at the three study sites respectively, were juveniles. Most hatchling cooters apparently overwintered in the nest and emerged in April. Juvenile growth was rapid and linear until 6 years of age. Adult female cooters were larger (P=0.03) and heavier (P=0.0004) than males. Adult cooters consumed mostly eelgrass (Vallisneria americanaElodea canadensis), although some crayfish remains were found in fecal samples. Juveniles consumed vegetation as well as invertebrates and fish. Cooters did not move out of the pool habitats in which they were marked. Movements within pool habitats were influenced by basking site availability and location, which varied with river flow fluctuations. Two radio-marked cooters wintered in shallow backwater channels. Potential factors limiting the population are collecting and high artificial summer flows which scour weed beds. Addition of basking sites may increase habitat suitability for cooters."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Population and habitat ecology of the river cooter (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River, W.V."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Vaughan, Michael R."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Fraser, James D.","Stauffer, Dean F."],"dc:contributor.department":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Buhlmann, Kurt Andrew"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:49:49Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:49:49Z","2013-11-15"],"dc:date.issued":["1986-09-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["During 1984-85 I investigated population ecology and habitat relationships of river cooters (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River (NRGNR), West Virginia. Cooter colonies occurred in 3 pool habitats characterized by slow current velocities (x=0.22m/s), shallow water (0-2m), aquatic macrophyte beds, and basking sites. The estimated adult population during summer 1985 was 64 individuals. Six, 25%, and 35% of the captures at the three study sites respectively, were juveniles. Most hatchling cooters apparently overwintered in the nest and emerged in April. Juvenile growth was rapid and linear until 6 years of age. Adult female cooters were larger (P=0.03) and heavier (P=0.0004) than males. Adult cooters consumed mostly eelgrass (Vallisneria americanaElodea canadensis), although some crayfish remains were found in fecal samples. Juveniles consumed vegetation as well as invertebrates and fish. Cooters did not move out of the pool habitats in which they were marked. Movements within pool habitats were influenced by basking site availability and location, which varied with river flow fluctuations. Two radio-marked cooters wintered in shallow backwater channels. Potential factors limiting the population are collecting and high artificial summer flows which scour weed beds. Addition of basking sites may increase habitat suitability for cooters."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-11152013-040500"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/45754"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Population and habitat ecology of the river cooter (Pseudemys concinna) in the New River Gorge National River, W.V."],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:55Z"}