Nesting ecology and offspring recruitment in a long-lived turtle

The role of early life stages (eggs, neonates, and juveniles) for population persistence in long-lived organisms is thought to be minor. However, few long-term data sets are available to test this assumption. Variation in vital rates over space and time and the potential for the success of early life stages to shape adult reproductive behavior evolutionarily suggest that more thorough consideration of these life stages is necessary. In particular, the impact of climatic variation on early life-stage recruitment is not well understood. Furthermore, predation occupies a significant role in theoretical models of population dynamics, but its impact on populations through variable vital rates of early life stages is unknown. Maternal nest-site choice, an important component of nesting ecology, may influence many offspring traits and respond to selection to optimize offspring success. Overall, we have limited information regarding the long-term patterns of natural fluctuations in the nesting ecology and hatchling recruitment of populations of long-lived organisms.