What is implied about the local hydrology if Wood Turtles are observed thriving in a specific area?
Answer
The local hydrology and riparian ecology are likely intact.
The Wood Turtle serves as a highly sensitive ecological benchmark or indicator species for the health of its stream system. Their survival depends upon a precise combination of factors: moderate current, clean water, suitable basking sites, and specific nesting substrate. Therefore, the sustained, thriving presence of the species within a given geographic area strongly suggests that the fundamental physical and biological requirements of that aquatic-terrestrial interface—the local hydrology and the associated riparian ecology—remain largely undisturbed and functioning correctly.
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