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Gómez-Ortiz Y, Domínguez-Vega H, Soria-Díaz L, Rubio-Blanco T, Astudillo-Sánchez CC, Mundo V, Sunny A. Negative effects of agricultural open-channel irrigation system on vertebrate populations in central Mexico. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17818. [PMID: 39076772 PMCID: PMC11285387 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Linear infrastructures such as agricultural irrigation channels produce physical changes and negative impacts to habitats, wildlife populations, communities, and ecosystems. Open irrigation channels act as a pitfall for wildlife and can affect vertebrates of all sizes. Nonetheless, small channels have received relatively little attention by conservation biologists. The objective of this study was to analyze vertebrate species richness and mortality in relation to different sections of an irrigation channel system and the surrounding landscape characteristics. For two years, we conducted monthly surveys along an open-channel irrigation system to estimate its effect on vertebrates through records of dead and alive individuals. We examined the spatial relation of species richness and mortality with transects using a canonical correspondence analysis and chi-squared tests to determine possible variations in the different structures of the channel and seasonality. Further, a landscape diversity index was used to analyze the importance of surrounding habitat structure and composition on these parameters. Most vertebrates (61%) were found dead, small mammals and reptiles were the most affected. Our results indicate that mortality of small vertebrates varies depending on species, structures of the open-channel agricultural irrigation system (i.e., concrete channel and floodgates), seasonality (i.e., wet, and dry), and landscape heterogeneity (i.e., high, medium, and low landscape diversity). The open-channel irrigation system is a threat to populations of small vertebrates in anthropized landscapes, conservation efforts should be directed at protecting water bodies and restructuring the open-channel agricultural irrigation system to avoid mortality of species such as small rodents (M. mexicanus) and reptiles (C. triseriatus, B. imbricata, and Thamnophis spp.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriana Gómez-Ortiz
- División de Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México, San Felipe del Progreso, México, Mexico
| | - Hublester Domínguez-Vega
- División de Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México, San Felipe del Progreso, México, Mexico
| | - Leroy Soria-Díaz
- Instituto de Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico
| | - Tamara Rubio-Blanco
- División de Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México, San Felipe del Progreso, México, Mexico
| | | | - Victor Mundo
- Campus Universitario Siglo XXI, Grupo Educativo Siglo XXI, Toluca, México, Mexico
| | - Armando Sunny
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, México, Mexico
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2
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Viviano A, D'Amico M, Mori E. Aliens on the Road: Surveying Wildlife Roadkill to Assess the Risk of Biological Invasion. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:850. [PMID: 37372135 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the presence and distribution of alien species is pivotal to assessing the risk of biological invasion. In our study, we carried out a worldwide review of roadkill data to investigate geographical patterns of biological invasions. We hypothesise that roadkill data from published literature can turn out to be a valuable resource for researchers and wildlife managers, especially when more focused surveys cannot be performed. We retrieved a total of 2314 works published until January 2022. Among those, only 41 (including our original data) fitted our requirements (i.e., including a total list of roadkilled terrestrial vertebrates, with a number of affected individuals for each species) and were included in our analysis. All roadkilled species from retrieved studies were classified as native or introduced (domestic, paleo-introduced, or recently released). We found that a higher number of introduced species would be recorded among roadkill in Mediterranean and Temperate areas with respect to Tropical and Desert biomes. This is definitely in line with the current knowledge on alien species distribution at the global scale, thus confirming that roadkill datasets can be used beyond the study of road impacts, such as for an assessment of different levels of biological invasions among different countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Viviano
- Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amico
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Doñana Biological Station, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Emiliano Mori
- Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
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3
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Ribeiro YGG, Ascensão F, Yogui DR, de Barros Ferraz KMPM, Desbiez ALJ. Prioritizing road mitigation using ecologically based land‐use planning. AUSTRAL ECOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Geraldo Gomes Ribeiro
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS) Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- Wildlife Ecology, Management and Conservation Lab (LEMaC), Forest Science Department, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture University of São Paulo Piracicaba, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Fernando Ascensão
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS) Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- cE3c – Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE ‐ Institute for Global Changes and Sustainability Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon Portugal
| | - Débora Regina Yogui
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS) Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- Nashville Zoo Nashville Tennessee USA
| | | | - Arnaud Léonard Jean Desbiez
- Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres (ICAS) Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ) Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo Brazil
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Edinburgh UK
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4
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Decomposition stages as a clue for estimating the post-mortem interval in carcasses and providing accurate bird collision rates. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16188. [PMID: 36171410 PMCID: PMC9519910 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20628-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The estimation of the post-mortem interval is crucial to accurately provide bird collision rates against manmade infrastructures. Standard methodologies recommend initially clearing all carcasses to ensure that subsequent collisions can be attributed to known time intervals. In this study, we propose a more cost-efficient approach aiming to link the decomposition stages as unequivocally as possible to the most likely time elapsed since death. Factors influencing the decomposition stages of bird carcasses were evaluated by means of two experiments. Firstly, we examined carcasses of large birds in three seasons differing in temperature, sun radiation and humidity: summer, autumn and spring. Secondly, we tested the influence of body mass in the same season (spring) using small, medium-sized and large bird carcasses. Results showed that the decomposition score increased monotonically with time, attaining the highest magnitude effect. A carcass with a decomposition score ≥ 4 (skeletal reduction) was in the field for ≥ 15 days, whereas a carcass with a score < 3 (fresh or emphysematous) was exposed < 3 days. Decomposition scores were higher in summer and did not differ among carcass sizes. This study provides an alternative protocol to estimate the post-mortem interval in wild birds in studies in search of bird fatalities.
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Hohwieler KR, Villiers DL, Cristescu RH, Frere CH. Genetic erosion detected in a specialist mammal living in a fast‐developing environment. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katrin R. Hohwieler
- Global Change Ecology Research Group University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Science, Technology and Engineering Sippy Down Queensland Australia
| | | | - Romane H. Cristescu
- Global Change Ecology Research Group University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Science, Technology and Engineering Sippy Down Queensland Australia
| | - Celine H. Frere
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia QLD Australia
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6
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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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Paquet JY, Swinnen K, Derouaux A, Devos K, Verbelen D. Sensitivity mapping informs mitigation of bird mortality by collision with high-voltage power lines. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.47.73710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Mapping the relative risk of impact on nature by a human infrastructure at a landscape scale (“sensitivity mapping”) is an essential tool for minimising the future impact of new development or for prioritising mitigation of existing impacts. High-voltage power lines (“transmission lines”) are known to increase bird mortality by collision. Here we present a method to derive a high resolution map of relative risk of transmission line impacts across one entire country, Belgium, from existing bird distribution data. First, all the bird species observed in Belgium were systematically assessed using literature and casualty records to select those to be included in the sensitivity map. Species were selected on the basis of their intrinsic susceptibility to collision and the conservation relevance of avoiding additional mortality for that species in Belgium. Each of the selected species was included in one or several spatial layer constructed from existing data, emerging from citizen science bird monitoring schemes. The resulting 17 layers were then combined into one final sensitivity map, where a “risk score” estimates the relative collision risk across Belgium at a 1×1 km resolution. This risk score is relatively robust to the subtraction of any of the 17 layers. The map identifies areas where building new transmission lines would create high risk of collision and, if overlapped with existing power lines, helps to prioritise spans where mitigation measures should be placed. Wetlands and river valleys stand out as the most potentially dangerous areas for collision with transmission lines. This sensitivity map could be regularly updated with new bird data or adapted to other countries where similar bird data are available.
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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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9
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Lunney D, Predavec M, Sonawane I, Moon C, Rhodes JR. Factors that drive koala roadkill: an analysis across multiple scales in New South Wales, Australia. AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/am21040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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10
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11
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Gálvez D. Three‐year monitoring of roadkill trend in a road adjacent to a national park in Panama. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dumas Gálvez
- Programa Centroamericano de Maestría en Entomología Universidad de Panamá Panama City Panama
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
- COIBA AIP Panama City Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación Panama City Panama
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12
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IKUSHIMA S, ANDO M, ASANO M, SUZUKI M. Application of long-term collected data for conservation: Spatio-temporal patterns of mortality in Japanese serow. J Vet Med Sci 2021; 83:349-357. [PMID: 33342964 PMCID: PMC7972871 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.20-0393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring the mortality of wildlife provides basic demographic information to support management plan preparation. The utility of mortality records for conservation measures was investigated in the Japanese serow, focusing on temporal trends and spatial distribution. Using the mortality records of Japanese serow from 2006 to 2018 in Gifu prefecture, cause-specific mortality was categorized into five groups (disease, accident, vehicle collision, parapoxvirus infection, and unknown), and the sex ratios were examined. A state space model was used to analyze the time series for the monthly mortalities, and kernel estimation was used for the spatial distribution of the parapoxvirus infection. Land cover type around the detection point was also reported. Disease, accident, and vehicle collision mortality were similar, and 30% of mortality was of anthropogenic origin. The number of mortality records for males was higher, and the larger home range of males could account for this. The state space model showed moderate increases in monthly mortalities over time and a seasonal variation with the highest level in spring and lowest in winter. Land cover analysis demonstrated a temporal increase in the proportion of human settlement areas, suggesting the change of the Japanese serow habitat. The proximity of Japanese serow to human settlements contributed to increase in mortality records. The point pattern analysis indicated spatial clustering for parapoxvirus infection in the area where an epidemic had occurred in the past. Several measures are recommended; however, mortality records can help develop improved conservation plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiori IKUSHIMA
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu
University, 1-1 Yanagito, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Masaki ANDO
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1
Yanagito, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Makoto ASANO
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1
Yanagito, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Masatsugu SUZUKI
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1
Yanagito, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
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13
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Kent E, Schwartz ALW, Perkins SE. Life in the fast lane: roadkill risk along an urban–rural gradient. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a major cause of mortality in animal populations and can cause significant population-level effects. Urban areas are typically associated with higher road densities and unique wildlife communities in comparison to rural areas, and therefore have the potential to be associated with high numbers of collisions, and roadkill risk. Here, we use a citizen science database of wildlife roadkill and species distribution models to assess how roadkill risk (probability of roadkill observation per km2) varied along an urban–rural gradient for British wildlife. Roadkill risk was positively associated with road density, until around 5000 m/km2, a value representing villages or the outskirts of towns and cities. Beyond 5000 m/km2, risk remained high for some species (hedgehog, fox, pigeons and gulls) but reduced for other species (badger, rabbit, pheasant). Roadkill risk was a function of live species distribution for badger, hedgehog and rabbit, with significant overlap between spatial patterns of roadkill risk and the species’ live distribution. This was not the case for fox, pheasant, pigeons and gulls. Fox roadkill risk was underrepresented in rural areas, possibly due to low road density, while pheasant risk was overrepresented. For pigeons and gulls—well-known urban exploiters—roadkill risk was overrepresented in urban areas given their live distributions, possibly due to risks associated with foraging, particularly roadkill scavenging by gulls. Our results highlight the dangers of the UK’s dense road networks to wildlife, even to species considered adapted to urban environments and human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleri Kent
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Amy L W Schwartz
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Sarah E Perkins
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
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Lee TS, Rondeau K, Schaufele R, Clevenger AP, Duke D. Developing a correction factor to apply to animal–vehicle collision data for improved road mitigation measures. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/wr20090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextRoad mitigation to reduce animal–vehicle collisions (AVCs) is usually based on analysis of road survey animal carcass data. This is used to identify road sections with high AVC clusters. Large mammals that are struck and die away from a road are not recorded nor considered in these analyses, reducing our understanding of the number of AVCs and the cost–benefit of road mitigation measures.
AimsOur aim was to develop a method to calculate a correction factor for large mammal carcass data reported through road survey. This will improve our understanding of the magnitude and cost of AVCs.
MethodCitizen scientists reported animal carcasses on walking surveys along transects parallel to the highway and reported observations using a smartphone application at three sites over a 5-year period. These data were compared with traditional road survey data.
Key resultWe found that many large mammals involved in AVCs die away from the road and are, therefore, not reported in traditional road surveys. A correction factor of 2.8 for our region can be applied to road survey data to account for injury bias error in road survey carcass data.
ConclusionsFor large mammals, AVCs based on road survey carcass data are underestimates. To improve information about AVCs where little is known, we recommend conducting similar research to identify a correction factor to conventionally collected road survey carcass data.
ImplicationsIdentifying road mitigation sites by transportation agencies tends to focus on road sections with above-threshold AVC numbers and where cost–benefit analyses deem mitigation necessary. A correction factor improves AVC estimate accuracy, improving the identification of sites appropriate for mitigation, and, ultimately, benefitting people and wildlife by reducing risks of AVCs.
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15
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Bíl M, Andrášik R. The effect of wildlife carcass underreporting on KDE+ hotspots identification and importance. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 275:111254. [PMID: 32841791 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Many approaches have been developed in order to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC), their causes and consequences. Reliable data on the amount and location of killed animals along roads are therefore necessary. The existing WVC databases are usually, however, far from complete. This data underreporting causes problems when identifying the riskiest places along a transportation infrastructure. WVC data underreporting can distort the results of WVC hotspots determination. In this work, we simulated WVC hotspots identification and stability under various rates of WVC data underreporting. Our aim was to investigate whether WVC hotspots can be found at the original locations even when data are strongly underreported. We applied the KDE + method for WVC hotspots identification. The KDE + method also allows for hotspots ranking according to cluster strength and collective risk. These two measures were then used for detection of diminishing hotspot signals with a rising level of underreporting. We found that WVC hotspots with a greater cluster strength suffered less from underreporting whereas hotspots will lower values of both cluster strength and collective risk were not detected when underreporting in the data increased. Hotspots with a cluster strength above 0.5 were almost always detected when data underreporting remained below 50%. More than 50% of these hotspots (with cluster strength above 0.5) were detectable even when underreporting rate was between 50 and 80%. We further studied the effects of both spatial and temporal underreporting. Whereas temporal change of underreporting was not a problem in hotspots detection, spatial underreporting introduced significant errors producing both false positive and false negative results (hotspots). We conclude that both researchers and practitioners should be aware of the phenomenon of underreporting and should also try to maintain the same sampling effort of spatial reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Bíl
- CDV - Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, 636 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Richard Andrášik
- CDV - Transport Research Centre, Líšeňská 33a, 636 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Lee TS, Creech TG, Martinson A, Nielsen SE, Jakes AF, Jones PF, Sanderson K, Ford AT. Prioritizing human safety and multispecies connectivity across a regional road network. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tracy S. Lee
- Miistakis Institute, Mount Royal University Calgary Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ken Sanderson
- Miistakis Institute, Mount Royal University Calgary Canada
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17
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Response of vertebrate scavengers to power line and road rights-of-way and its implications for bird fatality estimates. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15014. [PMID: 32929173 PMCID: PMC7490418 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72059-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Linear infrastructures, such as power lines and roads, are an important source of bird mortality. However, little is known on the potential effect of these infrastructures on local scavenger guilds, their foraging activity and the resulting bird carcass removal patterns. This is an important source of bias in studies aiming to quantify bird fatalities due to linear infrastructures. We used camera-traps to record scavenger identity and persistence patterns of bird carcasses placed close to linear infrastructure and nearby controls in two Mediterranean agricultural regions. We found that linear infrastructure influence on scavenger identity varied depending on the region. Contrary to expectations, linear infrastructure presence had either none or a positive effect on carcass persistence, meaning that carcasses placed within power line or road rights-of-way were not removed faster than the ones placed in controls. We conclude that linear infrastructure effect on vertebrate scavenging patterns is likely to be region-specific, and that reliable correction factors for carcass removal-bias in bird fatality estimates require site-specific experiments to characterize local scavenging processes.
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18
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Impacts and Potential Mitigation of Road Mortality for Hedgehogs in Europe. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091523. [PMID: 32872180 PMCID: PMC7552162 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transport infrastructure is a pervasive element in modern landscapes and continues to expand to meet the demands of a growing human population and its associated resource consumption. Road-induced mortality is often thought to be a major contributor to the marked declines of European hedgehog populations. This review synthesizes available evidence on the population-level impacts of road mortality and the threat to population viability for the five hedgehog species in Europe. Local and national studies suggest that road mortality can cause significant depletions in population sizes, predominantly removing adult males. Traffic collisions are a probable cause of fragmentation effects, subsequently undermining ecological processes such as dispersal, as well as the genetic variance and fitness of isolated populations. Further studies are necessary to improve population estimates and explicitly examine the consequences of sex- and age-specific mortality rates. Hedgehogs have been reported to use crossing structures, such as road tunnels, yet evaluations of mitigation measures for population survival probability are largely absent. This highlights the need for robust studies that consider population dynamics and genetics in response to mitigation. In light of ongoing declines of hedgehog populations, it is paramount that applied research is prioritised and integrated into a holistic spatial planning process.
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Russo LF, Barrientos R, Fabrizio M, Di Febbraro M, Loy A. Prioritizing road‐kill mitigation areas: A spatially explicit national‐scale model for an elusive carnivore. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca F. Russo
- Department of Biosciences and The Territory Università degli Studi del Molise Pesche Italy
- Kayla Nature s.r.l.s Napoli Italy
| | - Rafael Barrientos
- Road Ecology Lab Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Complutense University of Madrid Madrid Spain
- Departament of Life Sciences University of Alcala Alcalá de Henares Spain
| | - Mauro Fabrizio
- Department of Biosciences and The Territory Università degli Studi del Molise Pesche Italy
| | - Mirko Di Febbraro
- Department of Biosciences and The Territory Università degli Studi del Molise Pesche Italy
| | - Anna Loy
- Department of Biosciences and The Territory Università degli Studi del Molise Pesche Italy
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Abstract
AbstractThe number of wildlife-vehicle collisions has an obvious value in estimating the direct effects of roads on wildlife, i.e. mortality due to vehicle collisions. Given the nature of the data—species identification and location—there is, however, much wider ecological knowledge that can be gained by monitoring wildlife roadkill. Here, we review the added value and opportunities provided by these data, through a series of case studies where such data have been instrumental in contributing to the advancement of knowledge in species distributions, population dynamics, and animal behaviour, as well as informing us about health of the species and of the environment. We propose that consistently, systematically, and extensively monitoring roadkill facilitates five critical areas of ecological study: (1) monitoring of roadkill numbers, (2) monitoring of population trends, (3) mapping of native and invasive species distributions, (4) animal behaviour, and (5) monitoring of contaminants and disease. The collection of such data also offers a valuable opportunity for members of the public to be directly involved in scientific data collection and research (citizen science). Through continuing to monitor wildlife roadkill, we can expand our knowledge across a wide range of ecological research areas, as well as facilitating investigations that aim to reduce both the direct and indirect effects of roads on wildlife populations.
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Silva I, Crane M, Savini T. High roadkill rates in the Dong Phayayen‐Khao Yai World Heritage Site: conservation implications of a rising threat to wildlife. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Silva
- Conservation Ecology Program School of Bioresources and Technology King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok Thailand
| | - M. Crane
- Conservation Ecology Program School of Bioresources and Technology King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok Thailand
| | - T. Savini
- Conservation Ecology Program School of Bioresources and Technology King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok Thailand
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Aguilar JM, Nieto A, Espinoza N, Loja G, Tinoco BA. Assessing patterns of bird roadkills in a high Andean Ecuadorian national park. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2019.1649953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Nieto
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | | | - Gabriela Loja
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
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