HOW TO USE THE TMG DOCUMENTS (Please right click on the linked documents then save to your hard drive)

In as much as the Taxon Management Groups (TMG’s) are the heart and soul of the TSA, reviewing and understanding these documents will give you a better understanding of the TMG process and consequently an insight into how the TSA intends to succeed in its mission to prevent the extinction of turtles. These documents are the blueprints of the TMG’s and explain how the TMG’s are organized, what a TMG is and how it should proceed, how decisions are made and how they are prioritized.

The most appropriate overview of the TSA’s role in preventing the extinction of chelonian species is the TCF TAXON RECOVERY PLAN. This document demonstrates the relationships between the TURTLE CONSERVATION FUND (TCF), the TFTSG – IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group and the TSA in terms of task assignment and implementation. If one were to start with the TCF PRIORITY PROJECTS PHASE 1 and 2 SPREADSHEET (document under revision) , you would be able to, in conjunction with the TMG DECISION TREE see how each taxa is prioritized and its management category determined. Within the TCF SPREADSHEET mentioned above , you will see two columns, the first being the “phase”. This refers to the priority of conservation activity as referred to in the three phases in the TCF GLOBAL ACTION PLAN FOR CONSERVATION OF TORTOISES AND FRESHWATER TURTLES, pages 16 - 19. The second column refers to each taxa ranking by the IUCN Red List.

Every taxa, now that it is ranked, gets run through the TMG DECISION TREE and the result determines its Management Category.

The TMG OUTLINE, Management Category 1, is the governing document as to how and what a TMG and how its TMP (Taxon Management Plan - samples below) is to be drafted and implemented. The TMG COORDINATOR JOB DESCRIPTION, is just that, it outlines the duties and expectations of every TMG Coordinator.

This process allows all of us to use the best science and data we have available to determine what is the most efficient and most needed management plan we can implement for every taxa. The TSA and the TCF fully recognize the limitations of a volunteer organization and also the limitations and required efficiencies of resource allocation. In this way we can assess and implement TMP’s on a fully prioritized basis.

Our passion for turtles and our strong desire to save them from extinction and learn more about them may inspire certain TSA partners to choose to work with turtle species which are not currently phase 1 or 2 priority taxa. This is encouraged, but resources will in all cases, be prioritized according to respective TCF / TSA phase and management category.

THE BOTTOM LINE

All the science and planning notwithstanding the most important ingredient of each and every TMP’s will be the full participation of its members. TMG’s are composed of individual participants; private breeders, zoos, vets, academics, field researchers, etc. all of whose proactive participation and communication are absolutely necessary for any TMG to succeed.

Documents cited above:

TCF PRIORITY PROJECTS PHASE 1 and 2 SPREADSHEET (document under revision)

TCF TAXON RECOVERY PLAN

TMG DECISION TREE

TMG OUTLINE, Management Category 1

TMG COORDINATOR JOB DESCRIPTION

TCF GLOBAL ACTION PLAN FOR CONSERVATION OF TORTOISES AND FRESHWATER TURTLES

Sample TMP’s

Cuora trifasciata Taxon Management Plan

Callagur Taxon Management Plan

Indotestudo elongata Taxon Management Plan

Heosemys depressa Taxon Management Plan

Chelodina mccordi Taxon Management Plan

Batagur Taxon Management Plan

Manouria emys Taxon Management plan - update