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Diversity
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Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II
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Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2023) | Viewed by 14380

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fernando Antònio Silva Pinto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
SIGNature Planejamento e Conservação, Barbacena, Minas Gerais 36204-190, Brazil
Interests: road effects; conservation biology; vertebrate ecology; environmental impact assessment
Dr. Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
SIGNature Planejamento e Conservação, Barbacena, Minas Gerais 36204-190, Brazil
Interests: road ecology; movement ecology; conservation biology; animal rehabilitation; ecological modelling
Dr. Simone R. Freitas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center of Natural and Human Sciences (CCNH), Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo Andre 09210-580, Brazil
Interests: road ecology; landscape ecology; conservation biology; urban ecology
Dr. Clarissa Alves da Rosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
Interests: road ecology; biological invasions; conservation biology; tropical ecology; citizen science; environmental impact assessment

Special Issue Information

Linear infrastructures such as power lines, pipelines, railways, roads, water channels (and including here also wind farms) are major features of every modern society and play a crucial role in people’s wellbeing. On the other hand, they are also a source of ecological problems and ecosystem changes. For instance, they fragment the landscape (thus reducing gene flow among populations), increase the mortality of several species, facilitate species invasions, and are sources of different kinds of pollution. The study of impact agents and their mechanisms, as well as the development of methods that help to identify impacts and their forms of mitigation, are important aspects for understanding the effects of these infrastructures in order to ensure their sustainable use. This Special Issue provides a platform to highlight new research and significant advances in understanding the impacts of linear infrastructures, how to mitigate their impacts in ecosystems, and how to quantify their role in the dynamics of local populations and communities. 

Dr. Fernando Antònio Silva Pinto
Dr. Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira
Dr. Simone R. Freitas
Dr. Clarissa Alves da Rosa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • linear infrastructures
  • wildlife
  • conservation biology
  • fragmentation
  • mitigation
  • environmental impact assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5486 KiB  
Article
Mammalian Roadkill in a Semi-Arid Region of Brazil: Species, Landscape Patterns, Seasonality, and Hotspots
by Raul Santos, Ayko Shimabukuro, Itainara Taili, Roberto Muriel, Artur Lupinetti-Cunha, Simone Rodrigues Freitas and Cecilia Calabuig
Diversity 2023, 15(6), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060780 - 16 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1245
Abstract
Roadkill is one of the principal causes of the loss of biodiversity around the world. The effects of roads on mammals are still poorly understood in regions with a semi-arid climate, where many knowledge gaps persist. The present study provides an inventory of [...] Read more.
Roadkill is one of the principal causes of the loss of biodiversity around the world. The effects of roads on mammals are still poorly understood in regions with a semi-arid climate, where many knowledge gaps persist. The present study provides an inventory of the mammalian species affected on highways in northeastern Brazil, as well as identifying roadkill hotspots and contributing to the understanding of how seasonality and the landscape may influence the roadkill patterns of wild mammals. A total of 6192.52 km of road were sampled in 53 field surveys conducted between 2013 and 2017. Landsat 8 satellite images and data from the MapBiomas platform were used to classify land use and cover for analysis. Buffers of 1 km, 5 km, and 10 km were created around the study roads to identify the landscape variables associated with roadkill events. Ripley’s 2D K-Statistics and the 2D HotSpot test were used to identify roadkill aggregations and hotspots; GLMMs were generated for the landscape variables and evaluated using the Akaike Information Criterion. The Kruskal–Wallis test was applied to investigate the potential effects of seasonality. A total of 527 wild animal carcasses were recorded as a result of vehicular collision. The species with the highest roadkill records were Cerdocyon thous, Euphractus sexcinctus, and Procyon cancrivorus, while two species—Leopardus emiliae and Herpailurus yagouaroundi—are considered to be under threat of extinction. For mammals in general, the best GLMM indicated an increase in roadkills with increasing density of local vegetation areas, and a decrease as urban areas increased. The model also found that the mammals were less impacted in the vicinity of a protected area. In the specific case of C. thous, the roadkill rate was lower when urban infrastructure was more common than dense vegetation; the rate increased as areas of dense vegetation increased. In the case of P. cancrivorus and E. sexcinctus, the best models of roadkill patterns included an area of exposed soil and sparse vegetation, respectively. Roadkill rates were higher in the rainy season for all the mammals, with the exception of C. thous. These results reflect the ecological characteristics of the species with the highest roadkill rates. The findings of the present study raise concerns with regard to the impact of highways on the populations of C. thous, as well as the region’s most threatened species. They also indicate the potential functionality of the local protected area, as well as identifying roadkill hotspots, which will support the development of effective mitigation measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II)
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23 pages, 11061 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Patterns and Road Mortality Hotspots of Herpetofauna on a Mediterranean Island
by Yiannis G. Zevgolis, Alexandros Kouris and Apostolos Christopoulos
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040478 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2117
Abstract
Traffic intensification, often in conjunction with habitat fragmentation, has caused frequent roadkill incidents, particularly among reptiles, amphibians, and other taxa. Herpetofauna species, which are slow moving and habitat dependent, are particularly susceptible to these incidents because they often use roads during thermoregulation. Lesvos, [...] Read more.
Traffic intensification, often in conjunction with habitat fragmentation, has caused frequent roadkill incidents, particularly among reptiles, amphibians, and other taxa. Herpetofauna species, which are slow moving and habitat dependent, are particularly susceptible to these incidents because they often use roads during thermoregulation. Lesvos, the eighth-largest Mediterranean island, boasts a biodiversity that surpasses most other Mediterranean islands of similar or larger size, with a plethora of herpetofauna species inhabiting its terrain. In recent years, new roads were constructed on Lesvos, which are considered to be one of the most important factors that negatively affect the island’s wildlife as they increase the non-natural mortality of animals, are obstacles to their mobility, and reduce the connectivity of populations by limiting their dynamics. In the present study, we examined the road mortality of amphibians and reptiles by analyzing (a) the temporal and seasonal patterns of such incidents, (b) the relationship between roadside habitats and road network characteristics with the roadkilled herpetofauna species, and (c) their spatial distribution on Lesvos during the years 2009–2012 and 2016–2019. To identify significant clusters of reptile and amphibian roadkills, we performed hotspot analysis by utilizing kernel density estimation and Getis Ord Gi* statistics. We recorded a total of 330 roadkills among 20 species, with the highest rates emerging among the European green toad (Bufotes viridis), the European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus), the Rhodos green lizard (Lacerta diplochondrodes), and the snake-eyed lizard (Ophisops elegans). Spatial statistical analysis revealed that roads close to herpetofauna habitats exhibit statistically significant clusters of roadkills that intensify during the spring season. Regular monitoring and mapping of herpetofauna road mortality will enable the implementation of management strategies to mitigate the negative impact of this phenomenon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II)
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13 pages, 1388 KiB  
Article
How Many Mammals Are Killed on Brazilian Roads? Assessing Impacts and Conservation Implications
by Fernando Antônio Silva Pinto, Douglas William Cirino, Rafaela Cobucci Cerqueira, Clarissa Rosa and Simone Rodrigues Freitas
Diversity 2022, 14(10), 835; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14100835 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2867
Abstract
Millions of animals are killed on roads annually due to collisions with vehicles, particularly medium–large mammals. Studies on mammal road-kill flourished in Brazil in the last decade and an assessment of research on road-kill impacts at a country level will help define science-based [...] Read more.
Millions of animals are killed on roads annually due to collisions with vehicles, particularly medium–large mammals. Studies on mammal road-kill flourished in Brazil in the last decade and an assessment of research on road-kill impacts at a country level will help define science-based conservation strategies. In this study, we used the compiled scientific literature to provide the state of knowledge on medium and large-sized mammals killed by road traffic in Brazil, their conservation status, and an approximation of the road-kill magnitude. We reviewed a total of 62 scientific papers that reported road-kill data accounting for 11.817 individuals. Of the 102 species of medium–large mammals found in the IUCN list, more than half (n = 62; 61%) were recorded as road-kill on Brazilian roads. The Carnivora order comprises over a quarter (n = 23; 37%) of the total road-killed species. A total of 9 species (14.5%) were classified as threatened, with a further 10 (16%) as Near Threatened. Over half of the road-killed species (n = 33, 53%) showed declining population trends according to their IUCN conservation status. Our extrapolation of the results for the entire Brazilian paved road network showed that the number of medium–large road-killed mammals can reach almost 9 million yearly (maximum 8.7 million; mean 1.3 million), representing a biomass of more than 10000 tons. The highest roadkill rates were recorded for common generalists and least concern species, although there were also threatened and near threatened species within the top 15 highest road-kill rates. The declining population trends found for most species reflect serious conservation concerns, since there is a lack of information on the mortality effects at population levels. Our results suggest that medium–large mammals are severally affected by road mortality in Brazil. More investigations are needed at local and abundance population levels, in a way that allows the inclusion of road network as an important threat for target species impacted by road-kill in the national territory, in order to develop adequate plans to mitigate those impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II)
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23 pages, 3767 KiB  
Article
Do Wildlife Crossings Mitigate the Roadkill Mortality of Tropical Mammals? A Case Study from Costa Rica
by Ronald Villalobos-Hoffman, Jack E. Ewing and Michael S. Mooring
Diversity 2022, 14(8), 665; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080665 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3398
Abstract
Although Central America is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, booming road construction is driving roadkill mortality that threatens to alter the demography, genetic diversity, and viability of wild mammalian populations. Costa Rica has the highest road density in [...] Read more.
Although Central America is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world, booming road construction is driving roadkill mortality that threatens to alter the demography, genetic diversity, and viability of wild mammalian populations. Costa Rica has the highest road density in Central America, but the effectiveness of wildlife crossings in mitigating roadkill mortality has not been assessed with controlled experimental studies. Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge is located along a critical biological corridor bisected by one of the busiest highways in the country. The first wildlife underpasses in Costa Rica were built here in 2010 as part of the expansion of Route 34 and subsequently documented by camera-trap and roadkill surveys. Using a control-impact design, we demonstrate a considerable reduction in wildlife mortality in the presence of the crossing structures compared with controls, with the underpasses and overpasses eventually used by 21 mammalian species. Some species made use of the structures right away, while others took over a year to learn to use them. This is the first controlled study in Central America to document the effectiveness of wildlife crossings and provides evidence that well-designed mitigation structures can contribute to wildlife-friendly roadways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II)
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16 pages, 3980 KiB  
Article
Hotspots and Season Related to Wildlife Roadkill in the Amazonia–Cerrado Transition
by Evandro Santos, Milton Cordova, Clarissa Rosa and Domingos Rodrigues
Diversity 2022, 14(8), 657; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080657 - 14 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2980
Abstract
The construction of new roads opens access to native environments, resulting in changes to the landscape. These roads cause the death of native wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, which is the main cause of human-induced vertebrate death. This work aimed to investigate [...] Read more.
The construction of new roads opens access to native environments, resulting in changes to the landscape. These roads cause the death of native wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, which is the main cause of human-induced vertebrate death. This work aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of roadkills on the BR-163 highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil, an Amazonia–Cerrado transition zone, to identify roadkill hotspots. The study area consisted of 244 km of road. Twenty-five trips were made totaling 6100 km of surveyed roadway between 2008 and 2011. A total of 1005 individuals from 65 species was recorded in this study. Mammals were the most affected, both in number of individuals and species, followed by birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The species with the highest roadkill rates were Cerdocyon thous and Tyto furcata. Identified endangered mammals included Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Priodontes maximus, Speothos venaticus, Tapirus terrestris, Pteronura brasiliensis, and Ateles marginatus. The highest rates of roadkill were recorded during the wet season. The location and number of hotspots varied among classes and were related to different environmental variables such as waterbodies, forest fragments, and agricultural areas. Roadkills may be a major threat for vulnerable species and should therefore be studied to define conservation plans for local species and road traffic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Linear Infrastructures on Wildlife II)
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