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Sacramento E, Rodríguez B, Rodríguez A. Roadkill mortality decreases after road inauguration. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-022-01574-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe main factors affecting specific road casualty rates are related to life-history traits, road features, and landscape variables. After road inauguration, roadkill rate and spatial and temporal patterns can change substantially due to changes in traffic intensity, avoidance behaviour or local population decline. Despite the Canary Islands constituting a biodiversity hotspot, Canarian ecosystems are highly threatened because of the high human density, and studies on anthropogenic sources of mortality of wildlife are scarce. Here, we counted roadkills during two annual cycles after the inauguration of an 8.8-km-road section on Tenerife, the largest and most densely populated island of the Canaries. We counted 694 roadkills belonging to a minimum of 19 species of birds and six species of introduced mammals. Seasonal variation was apparent during both annual cycles, particularly for birds, being the majority of victims concentrated in May and June. Although traffic intensity increased since road inauguration, the number of roadkills decreased significantly in the second annual cycle. The reduction in road mortality in the second cycle could be related to some non-mutually exclusive factors such as population decline, road avoidance, or weather conditions. As road networks of the Canary Islands are still increasing, further studies quantifying road mortality impacts on Canarian ecosystems and threatened species are urgently needed to guarantee the management and conservation of its fragile wildlife.
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AZEDO R, ILHÉU A, SANTOS S, VAZ PG. Carnivores cross irrigation canals more often through overpasses than through culverts. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Mohammadi A, Fatemizadeh F. Quantifying Landscape Degradation Following Construction of a Highway Using Landscape Metrics in Southern Iran. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.721313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid expansion of roads is among the strongest drivers of the loss and degradation of natural habitats. The goal of the present study is to quantify landscape fragmentation and degradation before and after the construction of the Isfahan-Shiraz highway in southern Iran. To this end, the ecological impacts of the highway on forests, rangelands, and protected areas were evaluated. Impacts of the construction of the highway were studied within a 1,000-m buffer around the road, which was then overlaid on maps of forests, rangelands, and protected areas. Class area, number of patches, largest patch index, edge density, landscape shape index, mean patch size, and patch cohesion index were used to gauge changes in the spatial configuration of the landscape; the ecological impacts of the highway were quantified using effective mesh size (MESH), division index, and splitting index. The results indicated that after the construction of the highway, 6,406.9 ha of forest habitat, 16,647.1 ha of rangeland habitat, and 912 of the Tang-e Bostanak Protected Area will be lost. The effective MESH metric showed that after the construction of the highway, the area of forest, rangeland habitats and protected area will decrease by 20,537, 49,149, and 71,822 ha, respectively. Our findings revealed drastic habitat loss and landscape fragmentation associated with construction of the highway, serving as references for conservation planning and development.
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Noonan MJ, Ascensão F, Yogui DR, Desbiez ALJ. Roads as ecological traps for giant anteaters. Anim Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Noonan
- The Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science The University of British Columbia Kelowna BC Canada
| | - F. Ascensão
- Faculdade de Ciências Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - D. R. Yogui
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS) Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- Nashville Zoo Nashville TN USA
| | - A. L. J. Desbiez
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS) Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ) São Paulo Brazil
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Edinburgh UK
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Abstract
Wildlife–vehicle collisions, as well as environmental factors that affect collisions and mitigation measures, are usually modelled and analysed in the vicinity of or within roads, while habitat attractiveness to wildlife along with risk to drivers remain mostly underestimated. The main goal of this study was the identification, characterisation, and ranking of mammalian habitats in Lithuania in relation to 2002–2017 roadkill data. We identified habitat patches as areas (varying from 1 to 1488 square kilometres) isolated by neighbouring roads characterised by at least one wildlife–vehicle collision hotspot. We ranked all identified habitats on the basis of land cover, the presence of an ecological corridor, a mammalian pathway, and roadkill hotspot data. A ranking scenario describing both habitat attractiveness to wildlife and the risk to drivers was defined and applied. Ranks for each habitat were calculated using multiple criteria spatial decision support techniques. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify the relationship between habitat ranks, species richness, and land cover classes. Strong relationships were identified and are discussed between the habitat patch ranks in five (out of 28) land cover classes and in eight (out of 28) species (97% of all mammal road kills). We conclude that, along with conventional roadkill hotspot identification, roadkill-based habitat identification and characterisation as well as species richness analysis should be used in road safety infrastructure planning.
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How far from the road should land cover be assessed? A case study on mesopredator mortality on roads. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-021-01461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe methods used to assess the significance of land cover in the vicinity of a road for the mortality of mesopredators are diverse. In assessing the effect of land cover along the road on road causalities, scientists use various buffer sizes, or even no buffer along the road. The aim of this study was to verify how results of land cover effects on the mortality of mesopredators on roads may differ when analyzing various buffer sizes from the road. We assessed road causalities in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship (Poland) from 3 consecutive years: 2015, 2016, and 2017. The roads were divided into equal sections of 2000 m each with buffer size of radius: 10, 250, 500, and 1000 m. We analyzed the number of road kills of red fox and European badger separately in a generalized linear model, whereas explanatory variables we used land cover types (based on the Corine Land Cover inventory) and traffic volume. Mean annual mortality from road collisions amounts to 2.36% of the red fox population and 3.82% of the European badger population. We found that the buffer size determines the results of the impact of land cover on mesocarnivore mortality on roads. The red fox differed from the European badger in response to land cover depending on the buffer size. The differences we have shown relate in particular to built-up areas. Our results indicate a 500-m buffer as best reflecting the land cover effects in road kills of both species. This was confirmed by model evaluation and a tendency to use or avoid the vicinity of human settlements of the analyzed species. We concluded that buffer size will probably affect mostly the significance of cover types that are spatially correlated with roads, positively or negatively. We suggest that the home range size of given species in local conditions should be assessed before determining the size of the buffer for analysis.
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Cerqueira RC, Leonard PB, da Silva LG, Bager A, Clevenger AP, Jaeger JAG, Grilo C. Potential Movement Corridors and High Road-Kill Likelihood do not Spatially Coincide for Felids in Brazil: Implications for Road Mitigation. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 67:412-423. [PMID: 33469694 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-020-01411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The negative effects of roads on wildlife populations are a growing concern. Movement corridors and road-kill data are typically used to prioritize road segments for mitigation measures. Some research suggests that locations where animals move across roads following corridors coincide with locations where they are often killed by vehicles. Other research indicates that corridors and road-kill rarely occur in the same locations. We compared movement corridor and road mortality models as means of prioritizing road segments for mitigation for five species of felids in Brazil: tiger cats (Leopardus tigrinus and Leopardus guttulus were analyzed together), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), and puma (Puma concolor). We used occurrence data for each species and applied circuit theory to identify potential movement corridors crossed by roads. We used road-kill records for each species and applied maximum entropy to determine where mortality was most likely to occur on roads. Our findings suggest that movement corridors and high road mortality are not spatially associated. We suggest that differences in the behavioral state of the individuals in the species occurrence and road-kill data may explain these results. We recommend that the road segments for which the results from the two methods agree (~5300 km for all studied species combined at 95th percentile) should be high-priority candidates for mitigation together with road segments identified by at least one method in areas where felids occur in low population densities or are threatened by isolation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, PO Box 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil.
| | - Paul B Leonard
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Science Applications, 101 12th Avenue, Fairbanks, AK, 99701, USA
| | - Lucas Gonçalves da Silva
- Centro UnB Cerrado, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, CEP 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Alex Bager
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, PO Box 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil
| | - Anthony P Clevenger
- Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, PO Box 174250, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jochen A G Jaeger
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University Montreal, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Suite H1255, Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Clara Grilo
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, PO Box 3037, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37200-000, Brazil
- Department of Biology Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon & CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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BARBOSA P, SCHUMAKER NH, BRANDON KR, BAGER A, GRILO C. Simulating the Consequences of Roads for Wildlife Population Dynamics. LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING 2020; 193:103672. [PMID: 31942086 PMCID: PMC6961961 DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly expanding road networks have been a key driver of the fragmentation and isolation of many wildlife species, and are a source of significant mortality due to collisions with vehicles. But not all animals are affected equally by transportation infrastructure, and in most cases little is known about the population-scale consequences of roads for wildlife. Even less information is available to characterize species' behavioral responses to roads. Although research shows that maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in Brazil are experiencing considerable fragmentation and road mortality, the degree to which these disturbances are impacting the species' viability is unknown. The goal of this study was to analyze the potential effects of roads on maned wolf population size and structure. We used a simulation model to evaluate the population-scale consequences of individual maned wolf interactions with roads, which can result in road crossing, avoidance, or mortality due to a collision with a vehicle. We also forecasted where in Brazil these impacts might be most significant. Our model incorporated species demographic and movement parameters, plus habitat quality and a map of the road network. We found that even moderate rates of road mortality led to severe declines in population size, and that four specific locations accounted for a disproportionate fraction of roadkill events. Our approach will be generally useful for evaluating the relative importance of road effects on species conservation in many ecological systems, for prioritizing data collection efforts, and for informing conservation policies and mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla BARBOSA
- Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Ecologia de Estradas (CBEE), Universidade Federal de Lavras,Lavras, Minas Gerais 37200-000, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia, Setor de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras,Lavras, Minas Gerais 37200-000 Brazil
| | - Nathan H. SCHUMAKER
- US Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35 Street, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Kristin R. BRANDON
- US Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35 Street, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Alex BAGER
- Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Ecologia de Estradas (CBEE), Universidade Federal de Lavras,Lavras, Minas Gerais 37200-000, Brazil
| | - Clara GRILO
- Departamento de Biologia, Setor de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras,Lavras, Minas Gerais 37200-000 Brazil
- CESAM-Ciências, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM/UA), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL), C2, 2.3.03, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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Valerio F, Carvalho F, Barbosa AM, Mira A, Santos SM. Accounting for Connectivity Uncertainties in Predicting Roadkills: a Comparative Approach between Path Selection Functions and Habitat Suitability Models. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 64:329-343. [PMID: 31372805 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01191-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Functional connectivity modeling is increasingly used to predict the best spatial location for over- or underpasses, to mitigate road barrier effects and wildlife roadkills. This tool requires estimation of resistance surfaces, ideally modeled with movement data, which are costly to obtain. An alternative is to use occurrence data within species distribution models to infer movement resistance, although this remains a controversial issue. This study aimed both to compare the performance of resistance surfaces derived from path versus occurrence data in identifying road-crossing locations of a forest carnivore and assess the influence of movement type (daily vs. dispersal) on this performance. Resistance surfaces were built for genet (Genetta genetta) in southern Portugal using path selection functions with telemetry data, and species distribution models with occurrence data. An independent roadkill dataset was used to evaluate the performance of each connectivity model in predicting roadkill locations. The results show that resistance surfaces derived from occurrence data are as suitable in predicting roadkills as path data for daily movements. When dispersal was simulated, the performance of both resistance surfaces was equally good at predicting roadkills. Moreover, contrary to our expectations, we found no significant differences in locations of roadkill predictions between models based on daily movements and models based on dispersal. Our results suggest that species distribution models are a cost-effective tool to build functional connectivity models for road mitigation plans when movement data are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Valerio
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Edifício Principal, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal.
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Évora (CIBIO/InBIO-UE), Évora, Portugal.
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO/InBIO), University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice, 5700, South Africa
| | - A Márcia Barbosa
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Évora (CIBIO/InBIO-UE), Évora, Portugal
| | - António Mira
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Edifício Principal, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal
- Conservation Biology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Sara M Santos
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), University of Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Edifício Principal, Apartado 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal
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Ascensão F, Kindel A, Teixeira FZ, Barrientos R, D'Amico M, Borda-de-Água L, Pereira HM. Beware that the lack of wildlife mortality records can mask a serious impact of linear infrastructures. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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11
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Borda-de-Água L, Ascensão F, Sapage M, Barrientos R, Pereira HM. On the identification of mortality hotspots in linear infrastructures. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Habitat suitability vs landscape connectivity determining roadkill risk at a regional scale: a case study on European badger (Meles meles). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-018-1241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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13
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Mestre F, Ascensão F, Barbosa A. gDefrag: A graph-based tool to help defragmenting landscapes divided by linear infrastructures. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Mohammadi A, Almasieh K, Clevenger AP, Fatemizadeh F, Rezaei A, Jowkar H, Kaboli M. Road expansion: A challenge to conservation of mammals, with particular emphasis on the endangered Asiatic cheetah in Iran. J Nat Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2018.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Snow NP, Zhang Z, Finley AO, Rudolph BA, Porter WF, Williams DM, Winterstein SR. Regional-based mitigation to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan P. Snow
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48823 USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Statistics and Probability; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48823 USA
| | - Andrew O. Finley
- Departments of Forestry and Geography; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48823 USA
| | | | - William F. Porter
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48823 USA
| | - David M. Williams
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48823 USA
| | - Scott R. Winterstein
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48823 USA
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Dexter CE, Appleby RG, Scott J, Edgar JP, Jones DN. Individuals matter: predicting koala road crossing behaviour in south-east Queensland. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/am16043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The ability to predict the frequency with which koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) cross roads is an important step in developing mitigation strategies aimed at maintaining metapopulation viability for this species. In south-east Queensland, Australia, rapid urban development, including fragmentation and vehicle-related mortality, has contributed to a dramatic decline in local koala populations. Assessment of wildlife crossing structures that mitigates the impact of roads demonstrates these to be beneficial for many species. However, building enough structures to enable animals to move freely across impacted landscapes may be prohibitive in complex urban landscapes. The focus for this study was to consider the role of differing characteristics for species at risk. We examined the frequency of road crossings by individual koalas among six subpopulations in south-east Queensland. We explored the influence of potential predictor variables including: age, sex, and distance from roads. We established that road crossings were limited to a subset of individuals, with only 18 of 51 (~35%) koalas studied ever crossing a road. We found that koalas were disproportionately more likely to cross a road if they had initially been found within a distance of 100 m of that road. Males were more likely to cross roads than females, as were koalas aged less than five years. We suggest that successful wildlife road mitigation can be improved by better understanding the road-crossing behaviour of species such as the koala.
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Bennett VJ. Effects of Road Density and Pattern on the Conservation of Species and Biodiversity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40823-017-0020-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Ascensão F, Desbiez ALJ, Medici EP, Bager A. Spatial patterns of road mortality of medium–large mammals in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/wr16108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Brazil has one of the richest biodiversity and one of the most extensive road networks in the world. Several negative impacts emerge from this interaction, including wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC), which may represent a significant source of non-natural mortality in several species. The understanding of the main drivers of WVC is, therefore, crucial to improve the safe coexistence between human needs (transportation of goods and people) and animal populations.
Aims
We aimed to (1) evaluate the relative influence of land-cover patterns on the distribution of WVC, (2) assess whether WVCs are clustered forming hotspots of mortality, and, if so, (3) evaluate the benefits of mitigating only hotspot sections.
Methods
We collected WVC data involving medium–large mammals (4–260kg) along three road transects (920km), fortnightly over 1 year (n=1006 records). We used boosted regression trees to relate the WVC locations with a set of environmental variables including a roadkill index, reflecting overall habitat suitability and landscape connectivity, while accounting for spatial autocorrelation effects. We identified hotspots of mortality using Ripley’s K statistic and testing whether data follow a random Poisson distribution correcting for Type I error.
Key results
We found a strong association between WVC probability and roadkill index for all focal species. Distance to riparian areas, tree cover, terrain ruggedness and distance to urban areas were also important predictors, although to a lesser extent. We detected 21 hotspots of mortality, yet with little spatial overlapping as only four road sections (2%) were classified as hotspot for more than one species.
Conclusions
Our results supported that WVC mainly occur in road sections traversing areas with more abundant and diverse mammal communities. Hotspots of mortality may provide important information to prioritise road sections for mitigation, but this should be used in complement with roadkill indexes accounting for overall mortality.
Implications
The results support focusing on hotspots and habitat quality and landscape connectivity for a better assessment of road mortality. At the local scale, a larger number and improved road passages with exclusionary fencing of appropriate mesh size in riparian areas may provide safe crossings for many species and constitute a promising mitigation measure.
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Larroque J, Ruette S, Vandel JM, Queney G, Devillard S. Age and sex-dependent effects of landscape cover and trapping on the spatial genetic structure of the stone marten (Martes foina). CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0862-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Dwyer RG, Carpenter-Bundhoo L, Franklin CE, Campbell HA. Using citizen-collected wildlife sightings to predict traffic strike hot spots for threatened species: a case study on the southern cassowary. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ross G. Dwyer
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Luke Carpenter-Bundhoo
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Craig E. Franklin
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Hamish A. Campbell
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods; School of Environment; Charles Darwin University; Darwin NT 0810 Australia
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Dexter CE, Appleby RG, Edgar JP, Scott J, Jones DN. Using complementary remote detection methods for retrofitted eco-passages: a case study for monitoring individual koalas in south-east Queensland. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/wr15153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Vehicle-strike has been identified as a key threatening process for koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) survival and persistence in Australia. Roads and traffic act as barriers to koala movement and can impact dispersal and metapopulation dynamics. Given the high cost of wildlife mitigation structures such as purpose-built fauna-specific underpasses or overpasses (eco-passages), road construction and management agencies are constantly seeking cost-effective strategies that facilitate safe passage for fauna across roads. Here we report on an array of detection methods trialled to verify use of retrofitted road infrastructure (existing water culverts or bridge underpasses) by individual koalas in fragmented urban landscapes in south-east Queensland. Aims The study examined whether the retrofitting of existing road structures at six sites facilitated safe passage for koalas across roads. Our primary objective was to record utilisation of retrofitted infrastructure at the level of the individual. Methods We used a combination of existing monitoring methods such as GPS/VHF collars, camera traps, sand plots, and RFID tags, along with a newly developed animal-borne wireless identification (WID) tag and datalogging system, specifically designed for this project, to realise the study aims. Key results We were able to verify 130 crossings by koalas involving a retrofitted structure or a road surface over a 30-month period by using correlated data from complementary methods. We noted that crossings were generally uncommon and mostly undertaken by only a subset of our tagged individuals at each site (21% overall). Conclusions An important element of this study was that crossing events could be accurately determined at the level of the individual. This allowed for detailed assessment of eco-passage usage, rather than the more usual approach of simply recording species’ presence. Implications This study underscores the value of identifying the constraints of each individual monitoring method in relation to site conditions. It also highlights the benefits of contingency planning to limit data loss (i.e. using more than one method to collect data). We suggest an approach that uses complementary monitoring methods has significant advantages for researchers, particularly with reference to improving understanding of whether eco-passages are meeting their prescribed conservation goals.
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Girardet X, Conruyt-Rogeon G, Foltête JC. Does regional landscape connectivity influence the location of roe deer roadkill hotspots? EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-015-0950-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Calenge C, Chadoeuf J, Giraud C, Huet S, Julliard R, Monestiez P, Piffady J, Pinaud D, Ruette S. The spatial distribution of Mustelidae in France. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121689. [PMID: 25811456 PMCID: PMC4374970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We estimated the spatial distribution of 6 Mustelidae species in France using the data collected by the French national hunting and wildlife agency under the “small carnivorous species logbooks” program. The 1500 national wildlife protection officers working for this agency spend 80% of their working time traveling in the spatial area in which they have authority. During their travels, they occasionally detect dead or living small and medium size carnivorous animals. Between 2002 and 2005, each car operated by this agency was equipped with a logbook in which officers recorded information about the detected animals (species, location, dead or alive, date). Thus, more than 30000 dead or living animals were detected during the study period. Because a large number of detected animals in a region could have been the result of a high sampling pressure there, we modeled the number of detected animals as a function of the sampling effort to allow for unbiased estimation of the species density. For dead animals -- mostly roadkill -- we supposed that the effort in a given region was proportional to the distance traveled by the officers. For living animals, we had no way to measure the sampling effort. We demonstrated that it was possible to use the whole dataset (dead and living animals) to estimate the following: (i) the relative density -- i.e., the density multiplied by an unknown constant -- of each species of interest across the different French agricultural regions, (ii) the sampling effort for living animals for each region, and (iii) the relative detection probability for various species of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Calenge
- Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage, Direction des études et de la recherche, Saint Benoist, BP 20. 78612 Le Perray en Yvelines, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Joël Chadoeuf
- Statistics, UR1052, Domaine Saint Maurice 67, Allée des chênes CS 60094 F-84143 Montfavet cedex, France
| | - Christophe Giraud
- CMAP, UMR 7641, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France—Laboratoire de Mathématiques d’Orsay, UMR 8628, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Sylvie Huet
- UR 341 MIA, INRA, F78352, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Romain Julliard
- CESCO, UMR 7204, MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, CP51, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pascal Monestiez
- INRA—Unité BioSp. Domaine Saint-Paul, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon Cedex 9, France
| | - Jérémy Piffady
- IRSTEA, UR MALY, centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne F-69626 Villeurbanne, France
| | - David Pinaud
- CEBC, UMR 7372—CNRS/Univ La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Sandrine Ruette
- Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage, Direction des études et de la recherche, Saint Benoist, BP 20. 78612 Le Perray en Yvelines, France
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Ruette S, Vandel J, Albaret M, Devillard S. Comparative survival pattern of the syntopic pine and stone martens in a trapped rural area in
F
rance. J Zool (1987) 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Ruette
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage CNERA‐PAD Birieux France
| | - J.‐M. Vandel
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage CNERA‐PAD Birieux France
| | - M. Albaret
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage CNERA‐PAD Birieux France
| | - S. Devillard
- Université de Lyon CNRS UMR5558 Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive Université Lyon 1 Villeurbanne France
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Ascensão F, Grilo C, LaPoint S, Tracey J, Clevenger AP, Santos-Reis M. Inter-individual variability of stone marten behavioral responses to a highway. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103544. [PMID: 25072639 PMCID: PMC4114789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Efforts to reduce the negative impacts of roads on wildlife may be hindered if individuals within the population vary widely in their responses to roads and mitigation strategies ignore this variability. This knowledge is particularly important for medium-sized carnivores as they are vulnerable to road mortality, while also known to use available road passages (e.g., drainage culverts) for safely crossing highways. Our goal in this study was to assess whether this apparently contradictory pattern of high road-kill numbers associated with a regular use of road passages is attributable to the variation in behavioral responses toward the highway between individuals. We investigated the responses of seven radio-tracked stone martens (Martes foina) to a highway by measuring their utilization distribution, response turning angles and highway crossing patterns. We compared the observed responses to simulated movement parameterized by the observed space use and movement characteristics of each individual, but naïve to the presence of the highway. Our results suggested that martens demonstrate a diversity of responses to the highway, including attraction, indifference, or avoidance. Martens also varied in their highway crossing patterns, with some crossing repeatedly at the same location (often coincident with highway passages). We suspect that the response variability derives from the individual's familiarity of the landscape, including their awareness of highway passage locations. Because of these variable yet potentially attributable responses, we support the use of exclusionary fencing to guide transient (e.g., dispersers) individuals to existing passages to reduce the road-kill risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Ascensão
- Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Clara Grilo
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Scott LaPoint
- Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jeff Tracey
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony P Clevenger
- Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Margarida Santos-Reis
- Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Koen EL, Bowman J, Sadowski C, Walpole AA. Landscape connectivity for wildlife: development and validation of multispecies linkage maps. Methods Ecol Evol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Koen
- Environmental and Life Sciences; Trent University; 1600 West Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Carrie Sadowski
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Aaron A. Walpole
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough Ontario K9J 7B8 Canada
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27
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Grilo C, Reto D, Filipe J, Ascensão F, Revilla E. Understanding the mechanisms behind road effects: linking occurrence with road mortality in owls. Anim Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Grilo
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM; Universidade de Aveiro; Aveiro Portugal
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Sevilla Spain
| | - D. Reto
- Centro de Biologia Ambiental/Departamento de Biologia Animal; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisbon Portugal
| | - J. Filipe
- Centro de Biologia Ambiental/Departamento de Biologia Animal; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisbon Portugal
| | - F. Ascensão
- Centro de Biologia Ambiental/Departamento de Biologia Animal; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisbon Portugal
| | - E. Revilla
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación; Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Sevilla Spain
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Relative effects of road risk, habitat suitability, and connectivity on wildlife roadkills: the case of tawny owls (Strix aluco). PLoS One 2013; 8:e79967. [PMID: 24278226 PMCID: PMC3836987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite its importance for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, there is still incomplete understanding of factors responsible for high road mortality. In particular, few empirical studies examined the idea that spatial variation in roadkills is influenced by a complex interplay between road-related factors, and species-specific habitat quality and landscape connectivity. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study we addressed this issue, using a 7-year dataset of tawny owl (Strix aluco) roadkills recorded along 37 km of road in southern Portugal. We used a multi-species roadkill index as a surrogate of intrinsic road risk, and we used a Maxent distribution model to estimate habitat suitability. Landscape connectivity was estimated from least-cost paths between tawny owl territories, using habitat suitability as a resistance surface. We defined 10 alternative scenarios to compute connectivity, based on variation in potential movement patterns according to territory quality and dispersal distance thresholds. Hierarchical partitioning of a regression model indicated that independent variation in tawny owl roadkills was explained primarily by the roadkill index (70.5%) and, to a much lesser extent, by landscape connectivity (26.2%), while habitat suitability had minor effects (3.3%). Analysis of connectivity scenarios suggested that owl roadkills were primarily related to short range movements (<5 km) between high quality territories. Tawny owl roadkills were spatially autocorrelated, but the introduction of spatial filters in the regression model did not change the type and relative contribution of environmental variables. Conclusions Overall, results suggest that road-related factors may have a dominant influence on roadkill patterns, particularly in areas like ours where habitat quality and landscape connectivity are globally high for the study species. Nevertheless, the study supported the view that functional connectivity should be incorporated whenever possible in roadkill models, as it may greatly increase their power to predict the location of roadkill hotspots.
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Ascensão F, Clevenger A, Santos-Reis M, Urbano P, Jackson N. Wildlife–vehicle collision mitigation: Is partial fencing the answer? An agent-based model approach. Ecol Modell 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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30
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Matos C, Sillero N, Argaña E. Spatial analysis of amphibian road mortality levels in northern Portugal country roads. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2012. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00002850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal mortality caused by vehicle collisions is one of the main ecological impacts of roads. Amphibians are the most affected group and road fatalities have a significant impact on population dynamics and viability. Several studies on Iberian amphibians have shown the importance of country roads on amphibian road mortality, but still, little is known about the situation in northern Portugal. By being more permeable to amphibian passage, country roads represent a greater source of mortality than highways, which act as barriers. Thus, mitigation measures should be applied, but due to the extensive road network, the identification of precise locations (hotspots) and variables related to animal-vehicle collision is needed to plan these measures successfully. The aim of the study was to analyse the spatial occurrence and related factors linked to amphibian mortality on a number of country roads in northern Portugal, using spatial statistics implemented in GIS and applying a binary logistical regression. We surveyed 631 km of road corresponding to seven transects, and observed 404 individual amphibians: 74 (18.3%) alive and 330 (81.7%) road-killed. Bufo bufo represented 80% of the mortality records. Three transects showed clustered distribution of road-kills, and broadleaved forests and road ditches were the most important factors associated with hotspots of road-kill. Logistic regression models showed that habitat quality, Bufo bufo’s habitat preferences, and road ditches are positively associated with amphibians’ road mortality in northern Portugal, whereas average altitude and length of walls were negatively associated. This study is a useful tool to understand spatial occurrence of amphibian road-kills in the face of applying mitigation measures on country roads from northern Portugal. This study also considers the necessity of assessing the condition of amphibian local populations to understand their road-kills spatial patterns and the urgency to apply mitigation measures on country roads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Matos
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais (CICGE), Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Rua Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Neftalí Sillero
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais (CICGE), Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Rua Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Elena Argaña
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências Geo-Espaciais (CICGE), Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Rua Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
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31
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Barrientos R, de Dios Miranda J. Can we explain regional abundance and road-kill patterns with variables derived from local-scale road-kill models? Evaluating transferability with the European polecat. DIVERS DISTRIB 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2011.00850.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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