Prescribed fire is an increasingly important management tool for eastern deciduous forests, but relativity little is known about the direct effects of fire on the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). We used very high frequency (VHF) transmitters to monitor mortality, movement, and spatial ecology of 118 box turtles in response to 17 prescribed fires across 4 seasons and 3 sites in east Tennessee, USA, during 2016–2018. Annual survival of box turtles that experienced a prescribed fire event was lower (0.87 ± 0.04 [SE]) than turtles that did not (0.98 ± 0.01) and was negatively correlated with fire intensity, fire temperature the turtle experienced, and litter depth. All prescribed fire‐related mortalities occurred during the early (Apr–May, n = 5) or late growing season (Sep–Oct, n = 1). Fourteen percent of box turtles we captured exhibited damage to their carapace from previous fire events. Box turtles that survived prescribed fires were in microsites that did not burn, moved to unburned areas during the fire, or burrowed following ignition. Home range size was similar before and after burns and sinuosity of movements did not differ in burned or unburned areas. Our results indicate that though box turtles are susceptible to prescribed fire during their active season, they have behavioral and physical traits that reduce the direct effects of prescribed fire. Prescribed fire practitioners should be aware of the risks of fire, particularly during the active season. We suggest managers consider altering prescribed fire intensity, seasonality, and firing pattern to minimize risk of direct effects where box turtles are of concern. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

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火对东部箱龟的直接和间接影响

处方火是东部落叶林越来越重要的管理工具，但是相对而言，关于火对东部箱龟（Terrapene carolina carolina）的直接影响知之甚少。我们使用超高频（VHF）发射器来监测118-箱龟的死亡率，运动和空间生态，以应对2016-2018年美国田纳西州东部4个季节和3个地点的17次明火。经历过规定火事件的箱龟的年生存率比未经历箱火的龟的年生存率低（0.87±0.04 [SE]），而不是没有火龟的年生存率（0.98±0.01），与火强度，龟的着火温度和窝深度负相关。所有规定的消防有关的死亡早期（四月五月，期间发生ñ = 5）或生长后期（9-10月，n = 1）。我们捕获的盒龟中有14％受到先前火灾的破坏，其甲壳受到了破坏。在规定的火情中幸存下来的盒龟在没有燃烧的微型场所中，在火势中移至未燃烧的区域，或着火后挖洞。烧伤前后的家庭范围大小相似，在烧伤或未烧伤的地区，活动的弯曲度无差异。我们的结果表明，尽管盒龟在活动季节容易受到明火的攻击，但它们的行为和身体特征减少了明火的直接影响。规定的消防从业人员应注意火灾危险，尤其是在活动季节。我们建议管理人员考虑更改规定的烈度，季节性，和射击方式，以最大程度减少需要关注箱龟的直接影响的风险。©2020野生动物协会。