K Sullivan Supplementary Material "Effects of Freshwater Habitat Quality on Freshwater Turtles: A Review"

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Freshwater turtles thrive in a variety of places, but one component that all species require is an aquatic habitat. The health of these habitats—the quality of the water, man-made changes to the environment, and pollution, are inextricably intertwined with the preservation of the turtle species that rely on them. However, because of the vast number of species, habitats, and aquatic variables involved, a comprehensive review of the relationship between freshwater turtles and their aquatic environments has yet to be conducted. This paper aims to fill that gap. Here, I break down water quality into discreet natural and anthropogenic variables and summarize their impacts on the physical, behavioural, and population responses of freshwater turtles. I also highlight aquatic variables and turtle species that are severely data deficient; many of the most critically endangered species are understudied. Similarly, the impacts of many water quality metrics such as pH, turbidity, and contaminants, like coal and oil spills are not well known. In contrast, there are several species and aquatic variables, like salinity, for which a wealth of information can be found. By drawing attention to these gaps and abundances, I hope to make the path clearer for future research to identify the impacts of water quality metrics on the health and distribution of freshwater turtles.