levels may indicate the species has splintered into small, isolated populations that suffer the negative consequences of inbreeding. “There are several environmental challenges,” Dr. Johnson said. “The turtles can be found in wetlands of the St. Lawrence River and Adirondack watersheds, but they have very specific requirements. We’re trying to learn more about their environments and their genetic populations to find out how we can help increase their numbers.” Dr. Johnson has become an expert in his field. He recently co-authored The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State: Identification, Natural History and Conservation, a book that carries the themes of identification, natural history and conservation. The book is the first of its kind produced to identify the amphibians and reptiles of New York, a large and heavily populated state that hosts a surprisingly diverse and interesting community of amphibians and reptiles. Dr. Johnson authored the section concerning snakes and contributed to all the other sections as well. Armed with a team of seven Potsdam students, Dr. Johnson and his assistants spent the summer searching wetlands throughout St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties, trying to understand the species a little bit better. In the end they found that the largest concentration of Blanding’s turtles in the state lives in wetlands scattered around Potsdam.
Students look for turtle cages and tracks while then-senior Christina Domser of Barneveld, NY, leads the class.
Dr. Johnson wants to improve the conservation outlook by understanding the distribution of the turtles throughout the North Country, their aquatic versus nesting habitats, and where the turtles winter. Dr. Johnson is also working with a team from Clarkson University to understand the impact of roads and traffic on the turtle population. “Many roads in the North Country cut right through lowlying wetlands,” he said. “Barriers have been set up in some places to limit the amount of road kill of different animals. I’m currently working with the Department of Transportation to see how we can do something that would keep turtles away from the road and in their habitat.” Dr. Johnson has received a number of internal and external grants in support of his research and a faculty-student summer research program. Recently, he was awarded funds from the Robert J. Hill ’77 Endowment for Environmental Science, established by Potsdam alumnus Bob Hill for the investigation of and solutions to environmental challenges facing the Adirondacks and St. Lawrence Valley regions. Dr. Johnson plans to use the funds awarded to further his research of the Blanding’s turtle. Dr. Glenn Johnson put to rest a local controversy that has been stirring in Potsdam for quite some time. For years, the proposed Super Wal-Mart on a site just west of the village has been controversial for many reasons. At one point, plans were halted because a Blanding’s turtle had been found dead on the side of the road near the proposed Wal-Mart site. Environmentalists claimed Wal-Mart was proposing building a store on a site inhabited by an endangered species and even threatened to sue the company. While a few Blanding’s turtles may live in the general vicinity, Dr. Johnson said the wetland near the proposed site does not display the preferred characteristics of Blanding’s turtle habitat. It is also quite unlikely, Dr. Johnson said, that the land near the site is used by the turtles for breeding. “The turtle really has very specific nesting requirements,” he said. “And while we don’t completely understand all of their needs, there’s not much evidence that shows this site is one preferred by the turtle.”
s, NY, holds a Blanding’s turtle during an excursion into the field.
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