Where Have All the Turtles Gone, and Why Does It Matter?

• Published in: Bioscience Vol. 68; no. 10; pp. 771 - 781
• Main Authors: LOVICH, JEFFREY E., ENNEN, JOSHUA R., AGHA, MICKEY, GIBBONS, J. WHITFIELD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.10.2018; American Institute of Biological Sciences
• Subjects: Amphibians; Anthropocene; birds; Climate change; Collapse; Enhancers; Environmental degradation; fish; Germination; habitat destruction; Habitat loss; Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics; mammals; Miners; Nutrient cycles; Ocean floor; Overexploitation; Overview Articles; Pets; population size; seed germination; Seeds; Sex determination; soil; Testudines; Turtles; Vertebrates; biomass; tortoise; ecological engineers; keystone species; terrapin

Of the 356 species of turtles worldwide, approximately 61% are threatened or already extinct. Turtles are among the most threatened of the major groups of vertebrates, in general, more so than birds, mammals, fishes or even the much besieged amphibians. Reasons for the dire situation of turtles worl...