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Blais BR, Shaw CJ, Brocka CW, Johnson SL, Lauger KK. Anthropogenic, environmental and temporal associations with vertebrate road mortality in a wildland-urban interface of a biodiverse desert ecoregion. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240439. [PMID: 39086836 PMCID: PMC11288681 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Road mortality adversely affects wildlife populations. As urbanization and infrastructure densities expand, transportation and wildlife management aim to mitigate wildlife-vehicle conflicts while conserving biodiversity. Roadways in aridland ecosystems can invariably and adversely impact wildlife differently from temperate and other biomes, yet these rapidly urbanizing regions are understudied as are urban-rural gradients. We conducted road-cruise surveys (n = 204; 2018-2023) to assess anthropogenic, environmental, and temporal factors associated with vertebrate roadkill across the wildland-urban interface of Arizona's biodiverse Sonoran Desert ecoregion-already subjected to increased human development and climate change. Of n = 2019 vertebrates observed, 28.5% were roadkill. Increasing urbanization levels were associated with reduced vertebrate abundance on roads and increased road-killed endothermic vertebrates. Traffic volume was strongly associated with reduced vertebrate abundance and increased roadkill; additive effects on roadkill began at approximately 20 vehicles. Daily low temperature and/or relative humidity were also associated with roadkill across vertebrate groups. We provide empirical evidence to understand wildlife-roadkill associations across expanding wildland-urban interfaces to inform effective roadkill mitigation and wildlife conservation management strategies in biodiverse aridland regions. We recommend that managers mitigate or avoid development in rural areas that possess high biodiversity, valuable waterways or migration corridors, and populations of vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Blais
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Southwest Zoologists’ League, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Corey J. Shaw
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Colin W. Brocka
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Samantha L. Johnson
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Quiles P, Barrientos R. Interspecific interactions disrupted by roads. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1121-1139. [PMID: 38303408 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Roads have pervasive impacts on wildlife, including habitat loss and fragmentation, road mortality, habitat pollution and increased human use of habitats surrounding them. However, the effects of roads on interspecific interactions are less understood. Here we provide a synthesis of the existing literature on how species interactions may be disrupted by roads, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest avenues for future research and conservation management. We conducted a systematic search using the Web of Science database for each species interaction (predation, competition, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism and amensalism). These searches yielded 2144 articles, of which 195 were relevant to our topic. Most of these studies focused on predation (50%) or competition (24%), and less frequently on mutualism (17%) or, parasitism (9%). We found no studies on commensalism or amensalism. Studies were biased towards mammals from high-income countries, with most conducted in the USA (34%) or Canada (18%). Our literature review identified several patterns. First, roads disrupt predator-prey relationships, usually with negative impacts on prey populations. Second, new disturbed habitats created in road corridors often benefit more competitive species, such as invasive species, although some native or endangered species can also thrive there. Third, roads degrade mutualistic interactions like seed dispersal and pollination. Fourth, roads can increase parasitism rates, although the intensity of the alteration is species specific. To reduce the negative impacts of roads on interspecific interactions, we suggest the following management actions: (i) verges should be as wide and heterogenous as possible, as this increases microhabitat diversity, thus enhancing ecosystem services like pollination and seed dispersal; (ii) combining different mowing regimes can increase the complexity of the habitat corridor, enabling it to act as a habitat for more species; (iii) the use of de-icing salts should be gradually reduced and replaced with less harmful products or maintenance practices; (iv) wildlife passes should be implemented in groups to reduce animal concentrations inside them; (v) periodic removal of carcasses from the road to reduce the use of this resource by wildlife; and (vi) implementation of traffic-calming schemes could enhance interspecific interactions like pollination and avoid disruption of predator-prey relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Quiles
- Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Barrientos
- Road Ecology Lab, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, C/ José Antonio Novais 12, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
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Denneboom D, Bar-Massada A, Shwartz A. Wildlife mortality risk posed by high and low traffic roads. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14159. [PMID: 37551769 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife mortality due to collisions with vehicles (roadkill) is one of the predominant negative effects exerted by roads on many wildlife species. Reducing roadkill is therefore a major component of wildlife conservation. Roadkill is affected by various factors, including road attributes and traffic volume. It is theorized that the effect of traffic volume on roadkill probability should be unimodal. However, empirical evidence for this theory is lacking. Using a large-scale roadkill database of 18 wildlife species in Israel, encompassing 2846 km of roads over 10 years, we explored the effects of traffic volume and road attributes (e.g., road lighting, verge vegetation) on roadkill probability with a multivariate generalized linear mixed model. A unimodal effect of traffic volume was identified for the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), whereas 5 species demonstrated a novel quadratic U-shaped effect (e.g., golden jackal [Canis aureus]). Four species showed a negative linear effect (e.g., wild boar [Sus scrofa]). We also identified varying effects of road attributes on roadkill. For instance, road lighting and roadside trees decreased roadkill for several species, whereas bus stops and concrete guardrails led to increased roadkill. The theorized unimodal effect of traffic volume may only apply to large, agile species, and the U-shaped effect could be related to intraspecies variability in traffic avoidance behavior. In general, we found that both high-traffic and low-traffic roads can pose a high mortality risk for wildlife. It is therefore important to monitor roadkill on low-traffic roads and adapt road attributes to mitigate roadkill. Road design for effective roadkill mitigation includes reducing the use of concrete guardrails and median barriers where possible and avoiding dense bushes in verge landscaping. These measures are complemented by employing wildlife detection systems, driver warnings, and seasonal speed reduction measures on low-traffic roads identified as roadkill hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dror Denneboom
- Human and Biodiversity Research Lab, Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Avi Bar-Massada
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Kiryat Tivon, Israel
| | - Assaf Shwartz
- Human and Biodiversity Research Lab, Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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Richmond IC, Perron MC, Boyle SP, Pick FR. Connectivity of stormwater ponds impacts Odonata abundance and species richness. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2024; 39:63. [PMID: 38435963 PMCID: PMC10902110 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Context The successful dispersal of an animal depends, partly, on landscape connectivity. Urbanization poses risks to dispersal activities by increasing hostile land cover types. Objectives We investigated how connectivity of urban ponds impacted Odonata communities (dragonflies and damselflies), an order of semi-aquatic insects that actively disperse. Methods We sampled 41 constructed stormwater ponds and 8 natural ponds in a metropolitan area. The effect of connectivity and the quantity of available adjacent habitats was tested at different scales for dragonflies (900 m) and damselflies (300 m), determined by a literature analysis, to account for differences in suborder dispersal capabilities. Results Lower levels of connectivity and fewer nearest neighbours negatively impacted abundance, species richness, and composition of dragonflies (p values < 0.01, R2 = 0.18-0.70). Adult dragonfly abundance had a stronger positive relationship with connectivity than species richness. In particular, the abundance of adult dragonfly Leucorrhinia frigida, found almost exclusively at natural ponds, had a positive relationship with connectivity. Connectivity and the number of nearest neighbours had no significant impact on damselflies apart from a slight negative relationship between connectivity and species richness (p value = 0.02, R2 = 0.11). Natural ponds had significantly higher levels of connectivity when compared to stormwater ponds. Conclusions Our results suggest that dragonflies are positively affected by increased connectivity in an urban landscape, with no benefit of connectivity to damselflies at the scale measured. We recommend intentional planning of urban stormwater pond networks, where individual ponds can act as stepping stones, incorporated with strategic inclusion of beneficial land cover types. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01817-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. C. Richmond
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - M. C. Perron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2 St. Lawrence Drive, Cornwall, ON K6H 4Z1 Canada
| | - S. P. Boyle
- School of Science and the Environment, Memorial University of Newfoundland - Grenfell, 20 University Dr, Corner Brook, NL A2H 5G5 Canada
| | - F. R. Pick
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
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Kouris AD, Christopoulos A, Vlachopoulos K, Christopoulou A, Dimitrakopoulos PG, Zevgolis YG. Spatiotemporal Patterns of Reptile and Amphibian Road Fatalities in a Natura 2000 Area: A 12-Year Monitoring of the Lake Karla Mediterranean Wetland. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:708. [PMID: 38473093 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The pervasive expansion of human-engineered infrastructure, particularly roads, has fundamentally reshaped landscapes, profoundly affecting wildlife interactions. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, a common consequence of this intricate interplay, frequently result in fatalities, extending their detrimental impact within Protected Areas (PAs). Among the faunal groups most susceptible to road mortality, reptiles and amphibians stand at the forefront, highlighting the urgent need for global comprehensive mitigation strategies. In Greece, where road infrastructure expansion has encroached upon a significant portion of the nation's PAs, the plight of these road-vulnerable species demands immediate attention. To address this critical issue, we present a multifaceted and holistic approach to investigating and assessing the complex phenomenon of herpetofauna road mortality within the unique ecological context of the Lake Karla plain, a rehabilitated wetland complex within a PA. To unravel the intricacies of herpetofauna road mortality in the Lake Karla plain, we conducted a comprehensive 12-year investigation from 2008 to 2019. Employing a combination of statistical modeling and spatial analysis techniques, we aimed to identify the species most susceptible to these encounters, their temporal and seasonal variations, and the ecological determinants of their roadkill patterns. We documented a total of 340 roadkill incidents involving 14 herpetofauna species in the Lake Karla's plain, with reptiles, particularly snakes, being more susceptible, accounting for over 60% of roadkill occurrences. Moreover, we found that environmental and road-related factors play a crucial role in influencing roadkill incidents, while spatial analysis techniques, including Kernel Density Estimation, the Getis-Ord Gi*, and the Kernel Density Estimation plus methods revealed critical areas, particularly in the south-eastern region of Lake Karla's plain, offering guidance for targeted interventions to address both individual and collective risks associated with roadkill incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros D Kouris
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81132 Mytilene, Greece
| | - Apostolos Christopoulos
- Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Vlachopoulos
- Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, 38446 Volos, Greece
| | | | - Panayiotis G Dimitrakopoulos
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81132 Mytilene, Greece
| | - Yiannis G Zevgolis
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81132 Mytilene, Greece
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Balčiauskas L, Stratford J, Kučas A, Balčiauskienė L. Lockdown's Silver Lining? Different Levels of Roadkill during the COVID-19 Times in Lithuania. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2918. [PMID: 37760319 PMCID: PMC10525093 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on human and vehicular mobility on the number of roadkills of wild mammals, and roe deer in particular, was assessed in Lithuania. We statistically analyzed the distribution of all mammals and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) as the most abundant species annually from 2002 to 2022 and monthly from 2020 to 2021, including during the two restriction periods. Notably, there was a marked decrease in roadkill incidents on main, national and regional roads, particularly in April-May 2020 (the beginning of lockdown period I) and November-December 2020 (the beginning of lockdown period II), 5.1-20.8% and 33.6-54.4%, respectively. During these months, collisions with mammals on the A14 main road were reduced by 75-90%. However, there was a significant increase in the number of roadkills in urban areas, resulting in the total number of mammal-vehicle and roe deer-vehicle collisions in 2020 and 2021 being higher than expected based on long-term trends. However, after restrictions were eased, collision numbers with wildlife on the main, national and regional roads increased again and became higher than expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linas Balčiauskas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania (L.B.)
| | - Jos Stratford
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania (L.B.)
| | - Andrius Kučas
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Via Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
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Rincón‐Aranguri M, Toro‐Cardona FA, Galeano SP, Roa‐Fuentes L, Urbina‐Cardona N. Functional diversity of snakes is explained by the landscape composition at multiple areas of influence. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10352. [PMID: 37502301 PMCID: PMC10369374 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Roadkill and landscape composition affect snakes at different spatial scales, depending on the functional trait value of the species, which is reflected in the functional diversity indices at the assemblage level. This study evaluated the effect of roads and landscape composition on snakes' functional diversity at different areas of influence (250, 500, 1000, and 2000 m buffer areas). We compared roadkill snake species with those assemblages inhabiting the adjacent vegetation in the Orinoco region, Colombia. We surveyed snakes using transects on the road and adjacent areas on 13 landscapes along the road. We evaluated the effect of 16 landscape metrics at six land cover classes on the snake's functional diversity at four different areas of influence (from 250 to 2000 m around the sampled sites). The functional redundancy index was higher for roadkill species, suggesting that roads eliminate species that play similar roles in the assemblage and ecosystem processes. Likewise, the low values of functional redundancy in the adjacent vegetation call attention to the fact that each species surviving in this transformed landscape has a crucial active role in ecosystem processes in snake assemblages. For roadkill snakes, forest metrics explained changes in functional richness and functional evenness at a 250 m area of influence. In comparison, transient crop and pasture metrics explained changes in functional evenness and divergence at 2000 m. For snakes inhabiting the adjacent vegetation, the cohesion of pasture explained changes in functional richness at 250 m, and forest metrics explained changes in functional redundancy and evenness at 2000 m. Anthropogenic landscape transformation may have a greater effect on snake functional diversity at local scales than roadkill. In savanna ecosystems, the presence of native forest at 2000 m radius around roads promotes the conservation of snake assemblages. However, within a 250 m radius, the risk of snake roadkill increases when the road borders native forest. Therefore, it is necessary to implement wildlife crossing in these sections of the road.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Rincón‐Aranguri
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y RuralesPontificia Universidad JaverianaBogotáColombia
- Grupo Herpetológico de Antioquia, Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad de AntioquiaMedellínColombia
| | - Felipe A. Toro‐Cardona
- Grupo de Ecología y Evolución de Vertebrados, Instituto de BiologíaUniversidad de AntioquiaMedellínColombia
| | - Sandra P. Galeano
- Centro de Colecciones y Gestión de EspeciesInstituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von HumboldtVilla de LeyvaColombia
| | - Lilia Roa‐Fuentes
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y RuralesPontificia Universidad JaverianaBogotáColombia
| | - Nicolás Urbina‐Cardona
- Departamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y RuralesPontificia Universidad JaverianaBogotáColombia
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