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The environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation have been an issue of growing concern, with legalization often framed as a means to introduce regulations that hinder damaging practices. However, the concept of frontier expansion presents the possibility that the widespread establishment of this new industry may institute an additional source of habitat encroachment. Here, through geospatial analysis, we employ Colorado as a case study to investigate the distribution of licensed recreational cannabis cultivators, potential habitat infringement of threatened and endangered species, and LULC change. From 2011 to 2016, licensed cannabis cultivation has resulted in over 67 ha of LULC change toward more developed land uses. In addition, nearly 15 km of new fencing was constructed establishing over 38 ha of fenced areas, and nearly 60 ha of vegetation was cleared. Much of this cannabis-driven LULC change is identified within the habitats of threatened and endangered species, as well as areas recognized as containing high biodiversity values with the potential for conservation. Thus, notable cannabis-driven frontier expansion is evident. Cannabis-driven LULC change is found to be primarily produced by outdoor and greenhouse facilities, as well as operations utilizing mixed-cultivation methods in rural areas. Therefore, policy instruments that inter alia encourage indoor cannabis cultivation in urban areas are recommended and discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced human activities through city lock-downs and restricted traffic flows. It had been suggested that roadkill occurrences are strongly associated with traffic volume. I evaluated the association between traffic volume and roadkill during COVID-19, from March to May 2020, using 26,130 roadkill data points recorded from the highway network in Hokkaido from 2010 to 2020, Japan. Results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between roadkill numbers and traffic volume over the past decade. However, the roadkill during COVID-19 restricted human activity did not diminish, although traffic volume decreased during this period.

Roads pose an imminent threat to wildlife directly through mortality and changes in individual behavior, and also indirectly through modification of the amount and configuration of wildlife habitat. However, few studies have addressed how these mechanisms interact to determine species response to roads. We used structural equation modeling to assess direct and indirect effects (via landscape modification) of roads on space use by jaguars in Brazil, using radio-tracking data available from the literature. We fit path models that directly link jaguars’ space use to roads and to land cover, and indirectly link jaguars’ space use to roads through the same land cover categories. Our findings show that space use by jaguars was not directly affected by roads, but indirect effects occurred through reductions in natural areas on which jaguars depend, and through urban sprawl. Males´ space use, however, was not negatively influenced by urban areas. Since jaguars seem to ignore roads, mitigation should be directed to road fencing and promoting safe crossings. We argue that planners and managers need to much more seriously take into account the deforestation and the unbridled urban expansion from roads to ensure jaguar conservation in Brazil.

Collisions with vehicles can be a major threat to wildlife populations, so wildlife mitigation structures, including exclusionary fencing and wildlife crossings, are often constructed. To assess mitigation structure effectiveness, it is useful to compare wildlife road mortalities (WRMs) before, during, and after mitigation structure construction; however, differences in survey methodologies may make comparisons of counts impractical. Location‐based cluster analyses provide a means to assess how WRM spatial patterns have changed over time. We collected WRM data between 2015 and 2019 on State Highway 100 in Texas, USA. Five wildlife crossings and exclusionary fencing were installed in this area between September 2016 and May 2018 for the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and other similarly sized mammals. Roads intersecting State Highway 100 were mitigated by gates, wildlife guards, and wing walls. However, these structures may have provided wildlife access to the highway. We combined local hot spot analysis and time series analysis to assess how WRM cluster intensity changed after mitigation structure construction at fine spatial and temporal scales and generalized linear regression to assess how gaps in fencing and land cover were related to WRM cluster intensity in the before, during, and after construction periods. Overall, WRMs/survey day decreased after mitigation structure construction and most hot spots occurred where there were more fence gaps, and, while cluster intensity increased in a few locations, these were not at fence gaps. Cluster intensity of WRMs increased when nearer to fence gaps in naturally vegetated areas, especially forested areas, and decreased nearer to fence gaps in areas with less natural vegetation. We recommend that if fence gaps are necessary in forested areas, less permeable mitigation structures, such as gates, should be used. Local hot spot analysis, coupled with time series and regression techniques, can effectively assess how WRM clustering changes over time., Wildlife mitigation structures are often constructed to reduce wildlife road mortalities; however, gaps in the fence may reduce the effectiveness of these structures. We assessed how hot spots of wildlife road mortality changed with construction of mitigation structures using emerging hot spot analysis and generalized linear regression. We found that hot spot intensity has not changed after 1 year postconstruction of mitigation structures and that resulting spatial patterns of wildlife road mortalities were not associated with the locations of mitigation structures.

Installation of feral pig (Sus scrofa) exclusion fences to conserve and rehabilitate coastal floodplain habitat for fish production and water quality services remains untested. Twenty‐one floodplain and riverine wetlands in the Archer River catchment (north Queensland) were surveyed during postwet (June–August) and late‐dry season (November–December) in 2016, 2017, and 2018, using a fyke net soaked overnight (~14–15 hr) to test: (a) whether the fish assemblage are similar in wetlands with and without fences; and (b) whether specific environmental conditions influence fish composition between fenced and unfenced wetlands. A total of 6,353 fish representing twenty‐six species from 15 families were captured. There were no wetland differences in fish assemblages across seasons, years and for fenced and unfenced (PERMANOVA, Pseudo‐F, Fencing wetlands prevents pig access on tropical floodplains, which should be positive for fish. However, though many fish access (fenced and unfenced) wetlands during wet season connection, the seasonal effect of reduced water level conditions seems to be more overimprovised compared to whether fences are installed or not, as all wetlands supported few, or no fish species because they had dried completed regardless of whether fences were present or not.

Reversing biodiversity loss is a global imperative that requires setting aside sufficient space for species. In South Africa, an estimated area of 20 million ha is under wildlife ranching, a form of private land enterprise that adopts wildlife-based land uses for commercial gain. This land has potential to contribute towards biodiversity conservation, but the extent to which this occurs has not been evaluated. Using structured questionnaires of 226 wildlife ranchers, we assessed how the sector contributes towards the conservation of ungulates and elephants (hereafter herbivores). Overall, 40 herbivore species were present across the sample, where individual ranches had a mean of 15.0 (± 4.8) species, 1.9 (± 1.5) threatened species, and 3.6 (± 3.1) extralimital species per property. In comparison to 54 state PAs, wildlife ranches had significantly higher species richness, more threatened species but more extralimital species when property/reserve size was controlled for. Ranches conducting trophy hunting had similar species richness and numbers of extralimital species per ha, but fewer threatened species when compared to ranches conducting ecotourism. We estimate that 4.66–7.25 million herbivores occur on ranches nationally, representing one of the few examples on earth where indigenous mammal populations are thriving and demonstrating how sustainable use can lead to rewilding. We discuss the potential negative impacts of widespread game fencing on landscape fragmentation and gene flow, as well as how the widespread occurrence of extralimital species may lead to hybridisation, biotic homogenisation, and changes to vegetation dynamics. Despite these challenges, commercial wildlife ranching offers a viable option for conserving large mammalian herbivore biodiversity.

Human–wildlife conflicts have intensified by many folds and at different levels in recent years. The same is true in the case of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), the roof of the world, and a region known for its wealth in biodiversity. We present a systematic literature review (SLR) using the search, appraisal, synthesis, and analysis (SALSA) framework; and for spatial and network analysis, we employed the VOSviewer software. The review—covering 240 peer—articles within a span of 27 years (from 1982 to 2019)—revealed that in the last decade, there was a 57% increase in publications but with a disproportionate geographical and thematic focus. About 82% of the research concentrated on protected areas and large carnivores and mega herbivores played a big role in such conflicts. About 53% of the studies were based on questionnaires, and the main driver reported was habitat disturbance of animals due to land‐cover change, urbanization, and increase in human population. On the management front, the studies reported the use of traditional protection techniques like guarding and fencing. Our analysis of 681 keywords revealed a prominent focus on ‘human‐wildlife conflict,’ ‘Nepal,’ ‘Bhutan,’ ‘Snow Leopard,’ and ‘Leopard’ indicating the issue linked with these species and countries. The involvement of 640 authors from 36 countries indicates increasing interest, and Nepal and India are playing key roles in the region. As for the spatial analysis that was conducted, while it showed regional variations, there were conspicuous limitations in terms of having a transboundary focus. Thus, particular attention ought to be paid to building transboundary partnerships and improving management interventions; there is also a pressing need to understand the patterns of human–wildlife convergence, especially involving meso‐mammals., We present a systematic review on human–wildlife conflict from the roof of the world. The review presents results from 240 peer‐reviewed articles with an increasing trend of publications. About 82% of the research reported cases from protected area indicating conservation challenges. Scholars highlight habitat disturbance through land‐cover change, urbanization, and human population increase as major drivers. More focus on pattern of interactions at transboundary level and effective mitigation measures are recommended.

Sensors, such as accelerometers, in tracking devices allow for detailed bio-logging to understand animal behaviour, even in remote places where direct observation is difcult. To study breeding in birds remotely, one needs to understand how to recognise a breeding event from tracking data, and ideally validate this by direct observation. We tagged 49 adult female pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) with transmitter neckbands in Finland in spring of 2018 and 2019, and in Svalbard in summer 2018, and validated inferences from tracking by feld observations of nesting sites and family status in 2018–2020 (54 spring–summer tracks). We estimated nesting locations by taking the median coordinates of GPS-fxes at which the goose was motionless (overall dynamic body acceleration, ODBA < 1) on days with a daily median ODBA < 1, which approached the real nesting locations closely (within 1.6–3.7 m, n = Background: Semi-natural pastures are unfertilized grasslands with a long history of traditional low-input grazing management. This kind of pastures are recognized for their high species richness. However, as a consequence of modernization of agriculture, many of the semi-natural pastures have been lost during the last century, leading to a serious threat to farmland biodiversity. Semi-natural pastures are relatively low in productivity. Hence, to increase proftability, farmers may want to give the grazing animals access to additional nutrient sources. This can be done either as supplementary feeding, or by fencing the semi-natural pastures into the same enclosure as improved, more nutrient-rich, pastures. These practices are, however, controversial. It is argued that since semi-natural pastures are species-rich partly because they are nutrient-poor, introducing additional nutrients into the system should be avoided. Accordingly, in Sweden, these interventions are often prohibited while receiving fnancial subsidies for management of semi-natural pastures. However, since many farmers are dependent on such support to maintain their pastures, these prohibitions often cause problems. The question has been raised whether giving the grazers access to additional nutrient sources really afect the biodiversity in semi-natural pastures, as is assumed. The primary aim of the proposed systematic review is to answer this question. Method: Peer-reviewed and grey literature will be searched for using bibliographic databases, search engines, specialist websites and stakeholder contacts. The references will be screened for relevance according to a predefned set of eligibility criteria. The criteria will be tested and clarifed iteratively, until consistency in interpretations is achieved. Thereafter, the literature will be screened in two stages, frst based upon title and abstract and then by examining full texts. Full text screening will be performed with blinded decisions by two independent reviewers. Each relevant study will then be critically appraised, based on a set of predefned validity criteria. A narrative synthesis will be provided, outlining the evidence base in terms of bibliographic information and study metadata. If possible, quantitative syntheses based on meta-analyses will be performed. Identifed relevant knowledge gaps will be highlighted and discussed. Grasslands, Grazing management, Supplementary feeding, Creep feeding, Nutrient relocation, Biological diversity, Species diversity, Functional diversity, Cattle, Livestock

Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons has often been cited as the rationale for the privatization of pastures throughout the world, yet rangeland degradation is still widespread. A significant body of ecological research has demonstrated negative impacts from limiting herd movement through fencing. The privatization of pastures has often followed heterogeneous patterns. We use a natural experiment in common grazing areas on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau where land use was privatized beginning in 1999 following different land use division patterns. We measure the relationship between land use privatization paths and grassland quality using satellite data from 1989 to 2011 in five different villages, and compare how well herder environmental perceptions match satellite data. We find that rangeland degradation has significantly increased following privatization of land use, and that grassland in small individually managed fenced plots is deteriorating more significantly than in larger fenced areas with group herding. We further find that herders’ had accurate perceptions of the state of their pastures that closely match remotely sensed data.

Wildlife fences are often considered an important tool in conservation. Fences are used in attempts to prevent human–wildlife conflict and reduce poaching, despite known negative impacts on landscape connectivity and animal movement patterns. Such impacts are likely to be particularly important for wide-ranging species, such as the African wild dog Lycaon pictus, which requires large areas of continuous habitat to fulfil its resource requirements. Laikipia County in northern Kenya is an important area for wild dogs but new wildlife fences are increasingly being built in this ecosystem. Using a long-term dataset from the area's free-ranging wild dog population, we evaluated the effect of wildlife fence structure on the ability of wild dogs to cross them. The extent to which fences impeded wild dog movement differed between fence designs, although individuals crossed fences of all types. Purpose-built fence gaps increased passage through relatively impermeable fences. Nevertheless, low fence permeability can lead to packs, or parts of packs, becoming trapped on the wrong side of a fence, with consequences for population dynamics. Careful evaluation should be given to the necessity of erecting fences; ecological impact assessments should incorporate evaluation of impacts on animal movement patterns and should be undertaken for all large-scale fencing interventions. Where fencing is unavoidable, projects should use the most permeable fencing structures possible, both in the design of the fence and including as many purpose-built gaps as possible, to minimize impacts on wide-ranging wildlife.

Given the multiple stressors affecting freshwater ecosystems and the limited resources devoted to their management, effective conservation of freshwater biodiversity requires regional prioritization. Patagonian wetlands are essential for regional biodiversity and the economy, but they are still far from reaching global conservation targets and many of them could disappear due to climate change. Our study aimed at prioritizing wetlands based on aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity, their conservation status and vulnerability to climate change. First, we identified 43 priority wetlands containing all aquatic biodiversity collected in 82 Patagonian wetlands located over a 1500 km north–south gradient, by using the software Marxan. Then, we ranked within priority wetlands according to their conservation status (low priority if they were already protected; medium priority if not), importance for terrestrial biodiversity conservation (high priority) and vulnerability to climate change. Highly ranked priority wetlands in National Parks (low priority), contained diverse wetlands (57% aquatic taxon richness), including a large proportion of rare species (33%). High priority wetlands are oases of water in an arid and semiarid steppe, containing not only a large proportion of the aquatic biodiversity, but also acting as a refuge for terrestrial flora and fauna. Different management actions are proposed according to wetland priority level (e.g. fencing, creation of artificial ponds), and since 20% of medium priority and 36% of high priority wetlands are expected to disappear by 2050, their inclusion in conservation or restoration plans needs to be carefully evaluated.

Over one-fourth of the world's land area is dedicated to agriculture, and these lands provide important ecosystem services (ES). Trees are a key component of agricultural ecosystems' ability to provide ES, especially in tropical regions. Agricultural landowners' evaluation of the ES provided by trees influences management decisions, impacting tree cover at large scales. Using a case study approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with four types of agricultural landowners in southern Costa Rica to better understand how they value ES provided by trees. We used a socio-cultural valuation method, which revealed that landowners highly valued regulating and provisioning ES provided by trees and that the number and type of ES identified was influenced by the principle economic activity. Those farmers with larger amounts of forests on their properties more often identified cultural ES. The socio-cultural valuation methods revealed that respondents valued trees as wildlife habitat, coupling supporting and cultural services with both material (e.g., tourism) and non-material benefits (e.g., beauty). Few farmers in the study benefited from payment for ecosystem services programs, but the high value farmers placed on trees indicates there are other opportunities to increase tree cover on farms, such as promotion of live fencing and expanded riparian corridors. Results from this work can help improve conservation outcomes by shifting the focus of ecosystem service valuation to the needs and concerns of small-scale farmers in the development of outreach programs, management plans, and policies aimed at increasing tree cover on private lands in agricultural landscapes.

To assess the effectiveness of the four restoration techniques (one mono-technology, three combined technologies) on a degraded meadow swamp in Three-river Source Region, we developed a Biology-Environment-Service assessment framework that incorporates 12 indicators from plant, soil to ecosystem services. Two years (2018 and 2019) field monitoring and experimental data revealed that a good restoration effect achieved by the ecological restoration project. The average comprehensive restoration index (CRI)of four restoration sites are, respectively, 0.68, 0.89, 0.71 and 0.84, belonging to a level of GOOD or EXCELLENT. Restoration effect of ensemble restoration technologies is about 4.4%-30% better than that of single fencing. The vegetation restoration was about 2.8 times faster than that of soil and ecosystem services under the same restoration technology during research periods. Restoration effect presented significant difference in respond to various restoration techniques. A combination restoration measue (Fencing + water reservation + reseeding) is recommended as a potential effective restoration method for early stage of alpine wetland restoration.

We used multiple methods to examine livestock depredation by African lions (Panthera leo), spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta), leopards (Panthera pardus) and black‐backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) in livestock enclosures across the Maasai steppe of Northern Tanzania. In this landscape, pastoralists keep cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. All are vulnerable to depredation by carnivores. Various factors, such as boma characteristics, landscape attributes and attacks by multiple carnivores, were analysed to understand the best predictors of livestock loss at a boma. We found that livestock depredation was significantly correlated with the number of carnivore species that attacked the boma, the number of boma fences and proximity to protected areas, rivers and roads. Bomas with one fence experienced more loss than those with two walls of fencing. We also found that livestock depredation increased farther from protected areas (β = 0.50, SE = 0.10) and rivers (β = 0.39, SE = 0.10) and closer to roads (β = −0.28, SE = 0.11). These results highlight the complex interaction of fine‐scale factors that influence carnivore depredation of livestock at any given boma. We recommend that mitigation address the range of factors, including the structural integrity of a boma, landscape attributes and multiple carnivore raids.

Wildlife road mortality is a worldwide problem. In tropical developing countries, it is urgent to implement and test mitigation measures to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, especially because financial resources are limited and alternatives should be considered such as retrofitting of existing underpasses. We assessed herein the use of 12 unfenced crossing structures, including drainage culverts and cattle boxes, by medium and large mammals along a highway in the Brazilian Cerrado. Underpass usage was monitored for 3682 trapping nights from September 2017 to May 2018. We recorded 20 species of medium and large wild mammals in a total of 4212 events. The most frequent mammals were lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris, n = 1154), followed by capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, n = 910), and crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous, n = 271). Underpass usage did not differ between drainage culverts and cattle boxes, but species composition differed among the structures, suggesting that terrestrial mammals prefer cattle boxes while some semiaquatic species used only culverts. We identified 28 different individual tapirs using the underpasses and we estimated over 180 tons of tapir biomass crossing under the highway. Tapir underpass usage did not differ between cattle boxes and culverts, but it was negatively associated with the presence of pasture area around the structures. Our study suggests that, although underpasses show high mammal usage suggesting a satisfactory level of connectivity, combining this method with fencing would be critical to substantially decrease wildlife road mortality and increase human safety.

Establishing mixed-species tree plantings and fencing them to protect seedlings from herbivory is a valuable strategy for reconnecting forest fragments separated by agropastoral lands. However, fencing may provide exotic plants with the escape from herbivory required to invade the understory of planted communities. Here we take advantage of such a situation to ask how the identity of planted species and the resulting canopy cover influenced invasion success by the Asian swordtail fern (Nephrolepis brownii Desv. Nephrolepidaceae) in a 13-year-old tropical restoration experiment. Through a seed addition experiment, we also evaluated the effects the ferns had on recruiting seedlings. We found that the invasion was most acute in the unplanted control plots where canopy cover was consistently scarce. Frond density correlated negatively with canopy cover, though most of the variance in the model is explained by the design of our experiment (r2m = .161, r2c = .460). Between planting treatments that differed in the dispersal mode of the planted trees, the wind-dispersed treatment had higher fern density and longer fronds than the animal-dispersed treatment. The animal-dispersed treatment had the highest recruiting species richness, which was negatively correlated with fern density (r2 = .748). The seed addition experiment confirmed that mortality rates increased where frond density was higher (F1,41 = 7.159, p = .011) and germination rates were lowered for the smaller-seeded species (F1,42 = 13.2, p = .002). To prevent recalcitrant understory layers from establishing in plantings in the future, we recommend: (1) establishing larger plantings or expanding existing ones to minimize edge effects (particularly light filtration), (2) supplementing young plantings with additional seedlings to prevent canopy gaps from forming, and (3) planting an assemblage of species that cover the full forest strata and have consistently full tree-canopies.

Mortality of animals on roads is a critical threat to many wildlife populations and is poised to increase strongly because of ongoing and planned road construction. If these new roads cannot be avoided, effective mitigation measures will be necessary to stop biodiversity decline. Fencing along roads effectively reduces roadkill and is often used in combination with wildlife passages. Because fencing the entire road is not always possible due to financial constraints, high-frequency roadkill areas are often identified to inform the placement of fencing. We devised an adaptive fence-implementation plan to prioritize road sections for fencing. In this framework, areas along roads of high, moderate, and low levels of animal mortality (respectively, roadkill hotspots, warmspots, and coldspots) are identified at multiple scales (i.e., in circles of different diameters [200-2000 m] in which mortality frequency is measured). Fence deployment is based on the relationship between the amount of fencing being added to the road, starting with the strongest roadkill hotspots, and potential reduction in road mortality (displayed in mortality-reduction graphs). We applied our approach to empirical and simulated spatial patterns of wildlife-vehicle collisions. The scale used for analysis affected the number and spatial extent of roadkill hot-, warm-, and coldspots. At fine scales (e.g., 200 m), more hotspots were identified than at coarse scales (e.g., 2000 m), but combined the fine-scale hotspots covered less road and less fencing was needed to reduce road mortality. However, many short fences may be less effective in practice due to a fence-end effect (i.e., animals moving around the fence more easily), resulting in a trade-off between few long and many short fences, which we call the FLOMS (few-long-or-many-short) fences trade-off. Thresholds in the mortality-reduction graphs occurred for some roadkill patterns, but not for others. Thresholds may be useful to consider when determining road-mitigation targets. The existence of thresholds at multiple scales and the FLOMS trade-off have important implications for biodiversity conservation.Un Plan Adaptativo para la Priorización de Secciones de Carretera para Cercar y Reducir la Mortalidad Animal Resumen La mortalidad de los animales en las carreteras es una amenaza muy importante para las poblaciones silvestres y se pronostica que aumentarán enérgicamente debido a la construcción continua y planeada de carreteras. Si estas nuevas carreteras no pueden evitarse, se necesitarán medidas efectivas de mitigación para detener la declinación de la biodiversidad. El cercado a lo largo de las carreteras reduce efectivamente los atropellamientos y se usa frecuentemente junto con los pasos de fauna. Ya que cercar por completo la carretera no siempre es posible debido a las restricciones financieras, es común identificar las áreas con una frecuencia alta de atropellamientos para que la colocación de cercas esté informada al respecto. Diseñamos un plan adaptativo de implementación de cercas para priorizar las secciones de carretera que requieren ser cercadas. En este marco de trabajo, identificamos las áreas a lo largo de las carreteras con un nivel alto, moderado y bajo de mortalidad animal (respectivamente, puntos calientes, cálidos y fríos de atropellamiento) a diferentes escalas (es decir, en círculos de diferentes diámetros [200-2000 m] dentro de los cuales se mide la frecuencia de la mortalidad). El despliegue de cercas está basado en la relación entre la cantidad de cercas que se van añadiendo a la carretera, iniciando en los puntos calientes de atropellamiento, y la reducción potencial de la mortalidad en la carretera (presentada en gráficas de reducción de la mortalidad). Aplicamos nuestra estrategia a los patrones espaciales empíricos y simulados de las colisiones entre vehículos y animales. La escala utilizada para el análisis afectó al número y a la extensión espacial de los puntos calientes, cálidos y fríos de los atropellamientos. A escalas finas (p. ej.: 200 m), se identificaron más puntos calientes que a escalas más amplias (p. ej.: 2000 m), pero combinadas las escalas finas, los puntos calientes cubrieron una superficie menor de la carretera y se necesitaron menos cercas para reducir la mortalidad. Sin embargo, muchas cercas cortas pueden ser menos efectivas en la práctica debido al efecto de fin de valla (es decir, que los animales se muevan alrededor de la cerca con mayor facilidad), lo que resulta en una compensación entre pocas cercas largas y muchas cercas cortas, que denominamos compensación de cercas FLOMS (pocas-largas-o-muchas-cortas). Los umbrales en las gráficas de reducción de la mortalidad se presentaron para algunos patrones de atropellamiento, pero no para otros. Los umbrales pueden ser útiles para considerar cuando se determinan los objetivos de mitigación para las carreteras. La existencia de los umbrales a escalas múltiples y la compensación de FLOMS tienen implicaciones importantes para la conservación de la biodiversidad.动物被路杀是许多野生动物种群面临的一项严重威胁。考虑到正在进行和计划实施的道路建设, 这一问题还将日益加剧。如果无法避免建设新道路, 就必须采取有效的缓解措施来阻止生物多样性下降。在道路两旁修建围栏可以有效减少路杀, 且经常与野生动物通道结合使用。由于资金限制, 通常不能沿整条道路设置围栏, 因此一般会找出路杀高发地段来为围栏的布设提供信息。我们设计了一个适应性的围栏建设实施计划, 来确定优先建设围栏的路段。在这个框架中, 我们在多尺度上 (即在 200-2000 米直径的圆内测量路杀死亡率) 确定了路杀频率高、中、低的道路沿线地区 (分别是路杀热点地区、暖点地区和冷点地区) 。围栏布设是基于道路上从路杀热点地区开始的增加围栏的数量, 与可能的路杀死亡率降低 (通过死亡率下降图来显示) 之间的关系。我们将该方法应用于野生动物-车辆撞击的经验和模拟空间模型中, 发现用于分析的尺度影响了路杀热点、暖点、冷点地区的数量和空间范围。在精细尺度下 (如 200 米) 比在粗糙尺度下 (如 2000 米) 能识别出更多热点地区, 但将精细尺度下的热点地区结合起来只覆盖了较少的道路, 为减少路杀而需要建设的围栏也较少。然而, 由于存在围栏末端效应 (即动物可以更轻易地绕过围栏) , 建设许多短围栏在实践中可能不够有效, 因此需要在少量长围栏和大量短围栏之间进行取舍, 我们称之为 FLOMS (few-long-or-many-short, 少量长围栏或大量短围栏) 的权衡。此外, 某些路杀模式的死亡率下降图中出现了阈值, 而其它模式则没有。在确定减缓路杀影响的目标时, 阈值可能有一定帮助。多尺度下的阈值存在和 FLOMS 权衡对生物多样性保护具有重要意义。【翻译: 胡怡思; 审校: 聂永刚】.

Identifying factors promoting jaguar (Panthera onca) occupancy is crucial for planning effective conservation and management actions that can contribute to long-term population viability. We used camera-trapping and modeled factors affecting detection and occupancy for jaguars in Sonora at 149 sites during August-November 2008 and 2009. We measured 24 covariates presumed to affect detection (n = 6) and occupancy (n = 18) at camera sites, including sampling period and various habitat characteristics. We obtained 29 jaguar detections at 19 sites (naive occupancy = 0.12) in 5455 trap-days of effort. Jaguar detectability (p = 0.16 +/- 0.05) was negatively affected by human presence and varied by study year and sampling period. Jaguar occupancy (psi = 0.30 +/- 0.03) increased as prey richness, the abundance of calves of domestic cattle, and the proportion of subtropical vegetation increased. Jaguar occupancy was lower with increased abundance of adult cattle and peccary, and higher levels of fragmentation. Jaguar occupancy in Sonora was hence driven by a diverse combination of factors which should be considered when planning conservation actions. We suggest that managers mitigate the impact of livestock, especially on subtropical habitats, by employing appropriate fencing. Fencing may increase wildlife prey for jaguars, thereby reducing calf depredation by jaguars, while concurrently protecting habitat from overgrazing. Furthermore, providing financial support for ecotourism and compensation for depredation to offset potential jaguar impacts should be considered for jaguar conservation in Sonora.

For depleted wildlife populations, understanding and effectively mitigating the direct and indirect impacts of roads can be a key component of recovery efforts. The ocelot is a federally endangered wild felid at risk of local extinction in south Texas, where vehicle collisions are their largest known source of mortality. To support road mortality mitigation, we evaluated mortality risk across the south Texas road network. We also assessed whether a sympatric carnivore, the bobcat, could serve as a surrogate to inform mortality risk. We used several presence-only species distribution models to evaluate a suite of candidate landscape and road attributes and identify those associated with elevated road mortality risk using a 35-year wild felid road mortality dataset. Consensus predictions among models identified high-risk road segments for ocelots and bobcats. We compared predictions between species to determine overlap of high-risk areas. Areas where core ocelot habitat intersected roadways represented the greatest mortality risk, reflecting ocelot reliance on intact habitat and avoidance of degraded and fragmented landscapes. Bobcat road mortality risk had similar relationships to landscape features, with nearly all areas classified as high-risk for ocelots also identified as high-risk for bobcats. Ocelots are vulnerable to road mortality in areas where roads intersect their intact scrub habitat. Bobcats, with appropriate data filters in place, are an acceptable surrogate for informing ocelot road mortality, particularly when ocelot mortality data are limited and for time-sensitive conservation decision-making. For ocelots and other fragmentation-intolerant carnivore species, wildlife underpasses and fencing in focused areas where roads and intact habitat intersect may be feasible options to reduce road mortality.

QUESTION: We ask whether 11‐year mowing patterns and presence of fencing influence plant community diversity and functional assemblage in urban vacant lots. LOCATION: This study took place in 34 vacant lots on the south and west sides of Chicago, IL, USA. Urban vacant lots are an excellent study system in which to investigate the effects of management in cities: they are ubiquitous in many cities and they experience a range of management, particularly mowing and fencing. METHODS: We used municipal data to classify infrequent and intensive mowing regimes and assessed presence or absence of fencing in situ. In our sites, these management strategies are independent. We used individual permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) models to assess the effects of these management strategies on plant community composition. We then assessed species richness of plants with various traits using six individual two‐way ANOVA models with interaction terms. Our predictor variables included management strategies (mowing intensity and fencing) and three plant traits (growth form [graminoid, forb, or woody], life duration (annual, biennial, or perennial), and biogeographic origin [native or introduced]). RESULTS: We found 120 plant species in the vacant lots. Most of these species were perennial, introduced forbs. We found no discernable effects of mowing intensity on plant community composition or richness of plants in the three functional groups. However, when we compared the species found along fences to those in lot interiors, we found significantly different plant communities. Fence line communities had significantly more native and woody species than lot interiors. CONCLUSIONS: Plant communities differ at very fine spatial scales within an individual vacant lot, and this pattern is related to the presence of fences. Overall, vacant lots support diverse plant communities which can differentially contribute to wildlife habitat depending on management strategy.

Failed oak regeneration is widely reported in temperate forests and has been linked in part to changed disturbance regimes and land‐use. We investigated if the North American fire–oak hypothesis could be applicable to temperate European oaks (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea) using a replicated field experiment with contrasting canopy openness, protection against ungulate browsing (fencing/no fencing), and low‐intensity surface fire (burn/no burn). Survival, relative height growth (RGRH), browsing damage on naturally regenerated oaks (≤300 cm tall), and changes in competing woody vegetation were monitored over three years. Greater light availability in canopy gaps increased oak RGRH (p = .034) and tended to increase survival (p = .092). There was also a trend that protection from browsing positively affected RGRH (p = .058) and survival (p = .059). Burning reduced survival (p, We investigated if the North American fire–oak hypothesis could be applicable to temperate European oaks. Although a low‐intensity fire reduced oak seedling survival, survival rates were relatively high across treatment combinations (54%–92%) and relative height growth was greater in burned plots after 2 years. Burning did not change relative density of oaks, but it had a clear effect on competing woody vegetation as it reduced the number of individuals and their heights, especially for conifers.

Land reclamation and grassland management are important land utilization pattern for effective use and restoration of alkali-saline land in agriculture-pasture transition regions. These large-scale land cover/land use changes (LCLUC) could impose profound and divergent impacts on terrestrial carbon (C) and H2O cycling, hence require precise assessment of ecosystem CO2 uptake and water use differences due to specific land use of the same climate/soil landscape. We initiated clustered eddy covariance flux-tower observations and C/H2O fluxes analysis of 4 adjacent representative land cover and grassland managements types on alkali-saline Songnen Plain, including fenced meadow (as reference land use), clipped meadow, degraded alkali-saline land and paddy field in 2018–2019. Results showed that differences in land use influenced the magnitude and temporal variation of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and evapotranspiration (ET). Compared to fenced meadow, paddy field increased growing season C uptake by 63.3% and ET by 35.4%, while degraded alkali-saline land and clipped meadow decreased C uptake by 43.0% and 30.6%, and ET by 32.1% and 3.2%. Degraded alkali-saline land barely sequestrate C in dry year, whereas paddy field is least sensitive to inter-annual precipitation variation. Growing season C uptake was advanced in clipped meadow due to increased surface temperature, while monthly ET peaked early at May in paddy field. Agricultural use and specific grassland management also caused large differences in ET partitioning. Fenced meadow had greater ET partitioned into transpiration (69%) than clipped meadow (58%), degraded alkali-saline land and paddy field (41% and 34%, respectively). Water use efficiency appeared greater in clipped meadow and degraded alkali-saline land than in fenced meadow, and responded differently to abiotic factors. Overall, large-scale LCLUC has exerted significant influence on terrestrial C/H2O balances and physical responses in alkali-saline Songnen Plain.

Migratory amphibians are at high risk of negative impacts when roads intersect their upland and breeding habitats. Road mortality can reduce population abundance, survivorship, breeding, recruitment, and probability of long-term persistence. Increasingly, environmental planners recommend installation of under-road tunnels with barrier fencing to reduce mortality and direct amphibians towards the passages. Often, the permeability of these barrier and passage systems to amphibian population movements are unknown. We studied the movements of California tiger salamanders (CTS: Ambystoma californiense) in relation to solid and mesh barrier fencing attached to a 3-tunnel system between upland and breeding habitats in Stanford, California. We deployed active-trigger cameras along the fencing, used pattern recognition software to identify individuals by their unique spot patterns, and calculated individual salamander movement distances, speed, direction changes, and “success” at reaching the tunnel system. We found that migrating adult CTS moved an average of 40 m along barrier fencing before turning back into the habitat or “giving-up”. This short distance, in comparison to long migratory movements, may be explained by the orientation mechanisms salamanders use to reach their breeding sites. The probability CTS found a passage decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the tunnel system, particularly if individuals turned the “wrong” way after encountering the fence. Salamanders changed directions more often and spent more time along mesh fencing. Our results suggest that a maximum of 12.5 m between passages along CTS migration routes should allow approximately 90% of adult salamanders to encounter road crossings. Additionally, use of solid fencing or a visual barrier on mesh fencing may help to lead salamanders to passages most efficiently. These considerations can assist those seeking to design effective road mitigation for CTS and other migratory amphibians.

Many seabird populations are declining globally, but successful conservation efforts have led to population expansion of some species into human-dominated landscapes. Thus, there is an increased potential for direct human and seabird interactions for certain species in human-occupied areas, with nest-site characteristics potentially affecting the susceptibility of nests to human disturbance. We assessed the effect of human activity and nest-site characteristics on Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica, ʻuaʻu kani) nesting success at two breeding colonies, one with human exposure and one without, located in Kailua, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Human activity was measured by recording the frequency of people who entered a 5 m buffer around each nest. Nests were checked every two to three days to monitor nest success. The effect of human activity and nest-site characteristics on nesting success was determined using a variety of combinations of variables within binomial logistic regression models and AICc model selection. Nest-site characteristics among nests at both sites and human activity at the human-exposed site did not show a significant effect on nesting success. Our results suggest Wedge-tailed Shearwaters may experience some tolerance of human activity immediately around their nests—as long as burrow collapse does not occur. Given the small sample sizes and a single season of data collection, additional studies are needed to better understand the effect of human disturbance on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Infrastructure, such as fencing and signage, may be effective at reducing human-caused nest failure and may allow humans and disturbance-tolerant seabird species to coexist in shared coastal environments.

Protected areas (PAs) adjacent to the Kruger National Park (KNP) are divided into fenced and unfenced properties. We discuss land-use development to provide context of how these savannas have evolved over the past century. Although the PAs have embraced the basic philosophies of the KNP management approach and have similar high-level objectives, they function at different spatial, and consequently temporal scales, largely because of fencing and the subsequent provision of water in these areas. We examine bottom up (environmental, rainfall) conditions using rainfall as a percentage of the mean and the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) leading into five drought periods dating back to 1982/1983 and top-down drivers focusing on animal number and type (geo-referenced data from annual helicopter counts) on fenced versus areas open to the larger KNP system. We then examine the response variables, grass species composition, cover and standing crop (all using the Multiple Indicator Method) and the capacity of these to attain a variety of potential land use objectives. Using a dataset spanning some 30 years, we provide scenarios that offer an early warning system to managers irrespective of land use objectives and management approach (laissez-faire or active).

Abstract Wildlife–vehicle collisions are of increasing concern in modern societies caracterized by a continous and accelerating anthropogenic development. Preventing and mitigating collisions with wildlife will require a better understanding of the environmental and biological drivers of collision risks. Because species of large mammals differ in terms of food requirements, habitat selection and movement behaviours, and of activity patterns we tested whether vehicle collisions with red deer, roe deer and wild boar, the most abundant large herbivores in Europe, differed in terms of spatial distribution and explanatory factors, using a Bayesian statistical framework. From 20,275 documented collisions in 9 departments of France between years 1990 and 2006, we found marked differences in magnitude and in the most influential environmental factors accounting for the density of collisions among the three species, in agreement with their biology and habitat preferences. The effect of road density was higher for the red deer than for the two other species for which it was similar, and did not level off at our large spatial-scale of observation. As expected from particle collision models, the annual hunting harvest – interpreted as a proxy of population abundance – was positively associated with the density of collisions for all species, being the strongest for red deer. Overall, the effect of landscape structure on the density of collisions was weak but while the collision density did decrease with the proportion of forest in a management unit for wild boar, it increased with the fragmentation of forests for red deer that commute among forest patches between day and night. To reduce the number of wildlife–vehicle collisions actively, our results suggest to generalise road fencing for highways and motorways or a reduction of abundance of large herbivore populations as efficient action means. Overall, we call for of a greater consideration of the species’ biology in information campaigns or by using specific road signs.

Due to increasing anthropogenic pressures, including land-use transformation globally, the natural process of animal migration is undergoing alterations across many taxa. Small-scale migrants provide useful systems at workable scales for investigating the influence of disturbance and landscape barriers on natural movement patterns and migrations. The Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus Holbrook, 1840) in British Columbia, Canada, is a small, migrant predator that undertakes seasonal spring movements from its communal hibernaculum to summer hunting and mating grounds and reverses its movements in autumn. From 2011 to 2016, we examined changes to spring migration movements in 27 male Western Rattlesnakes encountering both mitigative fencing barriers and disturbed habitats. Individuals moving through disturbed habitats or intercepted by mitigative fencing demonstrated shorter migration distances and reduced spring path sinuosity compared with individuals migrating in undisturbed habitats. Specifically, individuals encountering a fence during spring movements completed shorter total spring migration path lengths and occupied smaller home ranges over the course of the entire active season. Total spring migration distance also was strongly associated with the distance that individuals traveled until they first encountered human disturbance. This study contributes significantly to our knowledge of how fencing barriers may impact normal behavioural patterns in smaller vertebrates.

BackgroundWithin the framework of close-to-nature forestry, oak forest (Quercus robur,Q. petraea) regeneration techniques that consider both silvicultural and nature conservation demands have become a very important issue. While there are many experimental and local studies that aim at disentangling the relationships between different environmental and silvicultural factors and the success of oak regeneration, systematic supra-regional studies at the greater landscape level are missing so far.Against this background, the first objective (a) of this study was to present an efficient and sufficiently accurate sampling scheme for supra-regional forest regrowth inventories, which we applied to young oaks stands. The second, and major, objective (b) was to identify the crucial success factors for high-quality oak forest regeneration in northwest Germany.ResultsObjective (a): Factors that have been identified as potentially crucial for the success or failure of oak regeneration were either included in a field inventory procedure or extracted from forest inventory databases. We found that the collected data were suitable to be analyzed in a three-step success model, which was aimed at identifying the crucial success factors for high-quality oak forest regeneration.Objective (b): Our modeling procedure, which included a Bayesian estimation approach with spike-and-slab priors, revealed that competitive pressure from the secondary tree species was the most decisive success factor; no competition, or low competition by secondary tree species appeared to be particularly beneficial for the success of high-quality oak regeneration. Also fencing and the absence of competitive vegetation (weeds, grass, bracken) seemed to be beneficial factors for the success of oak regeneration.ConclusionsTrusting in biological automation was found to be mostly useless regarding economically viable oak forest regeneration. To efficiently organize oak regeneration planning and silvicultural decision-making within a forest enterprise, it is strongly recommended to initially evaluate the annual financial and personnel capacities for carrying out young growth tending or pre-commercial thinning and only then to decide on the extent of regenerated oak stands. Careful and adaptive regeneration planning is also indispensable to secure the long-term ecological continuity in oak forests. Oak regeneration should therefore preferably take place within the close vicinity of old oak stands or directly in them. The retention of habitat trees is urgently advised.

Significant advances have been made to minimize the detrimental effects of roads on wildlife, but little is known about unintended negative consequences of mitigation strategies. Here, we present observations of adverse effects on herpetofauna of exclusion fencing at Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Ontario. A total of 15 individuals (one salamander, nine anurans, and five snakes) were found dead on unburied fencing, apparent victims of desiccation and/or heat exposure. Air temperatures did not differ between days when dead herpetofauna were and were not found on the fence; however, the fence surface was significantly warmer than the air. Our study shows that fence temperature and design may hinder animals escaping from the road to cooler refugia, and we discuss possible solutions.

We used an Atlantic grassland system on the Iberian Peninsula to ascertain whether monthly climate variability explains variation in monthly aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and to test whether climate-ANPP relationships depend on grazing regime. In 2005, large herbivores (beef cattle, dairy sheep, and horses) were excluded through fencing three 2 500-m2 plots, each located in a different location; adjacent grazed plots of equal size were established. ANPP was measured monthly during the next three growing periods (2006 − 2008), and locally measured climate data were obtained from a public database. Because between-site variation in annual ANPP was not significant, we used data averaged across sites to test for the effect of monthly climate variability on monthly ANPP by means of dynamic regression. Enhanced ANPP was found after grazing abandonment, probably due to the sudden dominance of productive graminoids. Variation in monthly rainfall did not contribute to explain monthly ANPP under grazing or grazing exclusion. Simultaneous mean monthly air temperature explained monthly ANPP under grazing. By contrast, the effect of temperature on ANPP under grazing exclusion was delayed by 1 mo. We suggest that this delay can be explained by the development of a thick organic layer (litter) that insulated the soil in the grazing exclusion plots. However, changes in floristic composition and, consequently, in phenology might also have contributed to the differential response.

Fencing is an effective and practical method for restoring degraded grasslands in northern China. However, little is known about the role of excess litter accumulation due to long‐term fencing in regulating abiotic environment and driving changes in community structure and function. We conducted a three‐year field experiment in two fenced grasslands in Inner Mongolia, and monitored light quantity, soil temperature, and soil moisture continuously, and determined community height, community aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and the relative dominance of different plant functional groups. Litter accumulation reduced light quantity and soil temperature but increased soil moisture. The regulating effects of litter accumulation on soil temperature and soil moisture fluctuated temporally and gradually weakened over the growing season. Litter accumulation also altered community vertical structure and function by increasing community height and ANPP. The increase in soil moisture increased the relative dominance of rhizome grasses but suppressed bunch grasses, thereby shifting bunch grass grasslands to rhizome grass grasslands. Our findings provide a potential mechanism for community succession in the context of litter accumulation in fenced grasslands and indicate that the vegetation and ecosystem services of degraded grasslands are improved after appropriate fencing.

Native pastures and rangelands may become degraded by intensive pastoral use through clearing of woody components, loss of sensitive native species, invasion of opportunistic exotics and soil erosion, compaction and nutrient imbalance. Livestock exclusion is commonly a first management step to restore ecosystems degraded by overgrazing. However, few studies evaluate the outcomes of livestock exclusion on plant species composition and soil chemistry, while those that do are inconclusive due partly to highly variable responses and to inexplicit performance criteria. We adopted a conceptual model that characterised responses to fencing in terms of divergence from initial states and convergence with targeted states that represent restoration goals. We used the model to design an investigation of fencing effects on grassy woodlands within livestock production landscapes in subhumid southeastern Australia. First, we asked whether fencing initiated divergence from continually grazed vegetation and convergence with reference states with respect to plant species composition and soil properties. Secondly, we asked how responses depend on livestock exclusion time, degradation of the initial state, and soil conditions. Compositional trajectories based on a 17‐year chronosequence showed that livestock exclusion initiated some divergence from unfenced controls but convergence with reference states was limited, variable among sites and unrelated to time‐since‐livestock‐exclusion. Fencing initiated the development of novel communities comprising exotic taxa and a subset of native taxa from the reference species pool. Initial state offered limited explanation for the variability in compositional divergence from unfenced controls. Soil properties did not converge with reference states over time, and initial state did not explain the degree divergence of fenced from unfenced plots. The findings suggest site selection is crucial to successful restoration and reinforce the need to consider supplementary management actions, such as planting, scalping, direct seeding and weed control, in addition to livestock grazing exclusion, to restore woodlands towards desired states.

There is an information gap on biodiversity effects of land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics of agrarian landscapes. Such data are essential for policy making and species management in agroecosystems. Thus, changes in LULC inside the Abohar wildlife sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone were investigated using LISS-III satellite images from 2003 to 2016. The area under cropland witnessed a 3.6% increase, whereas wastelands significantly declined by 4.3%. Further, the impact of LULC dynamics on nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) was determined through mortality distribution in the sanctuary from 2012 to 2017. The spatio-temporal distribution pattern of mortality revealed that a total of 336 nilgai died during the six years studied. Free-ranging feral dogs, in conjunction with fencing and road accidents, were the major factors involved in nilgai casualty. Fatalities were clustered in regions with significant LULC change. The results confirmed that intensified development and reuse of derelict agricultural fields disturbed nilgai ecology and habitat use pattern. Human-wildlife conflicts in agrarian landscapes are an increasing concern and should be managed following identification of sensitive areas.

Oak wilt disease and deer browsing have depleted the canopy and forest floor of secondary Quercus serrata and Quercus variabilis forests in Japan. Small-scale clear-cuttings enhance sprouting, and are, therefore, recommended for restoration of the damaged forests. However, most damaged forests are composed of mature stands, and it is not clear whether they would sprout successfully when cut. Moreover, little is known about the regeneration of forests damaged by both oak wilt disease and deer browsing. To determine the appropriate treatment for restoration of damaged Q. serrata and Q. variabilis forests, we established a study site with three different treatments (10 × 30 m each) in Kyoto City: clear-cut and fenced, removed dead oak trees and fenced, and removed dead oak trees and unfenced. After 1-year treatment, the number of species and individual saplings tended to increase at the lower slope of each treatment site with dominance of Ilex pedunculosa. The largest species and individual numbers were observed at the clear-cut fenced site, where pioneer species such as Mallotus japonicus were found. A few seedlings of Q. serrata were found at each treatment site, and no Q. variabilis was recorded. The emergence of Q. serrata seedlings was explained by their location at the slope and not by the treatment. Moreover, many sprouts of Q. serrata and Q. variabilis were observed at the clear-cut fenced site. Although further monitoring is needed, clear-cutting and fencing appear to be an effective method for the rehabilitation of depleted forests.

Grazing is one of the major anthropogenic driving factors influencing community structure and ecological function of grasslands. Fencing has been proved to be one of the main measures for rehabilitating degraded grasslands in northwestern China. However, data from combined empirical studies on the effects of different management regimes in desert grasslands are lacking. So we selected long‐term fencing (fenced since 1991), mid‐term fencing and seasonal fencing (fenced since 2002), and adjacent free‐grazing grasslands to investigate vegetation and soil properties on southwest Mu Us desert. Our results showed that fencing increased plant cover, height, aboveground biomass (AGB) of different plant life‐form groups, Shannon–Wiener diversity index, Evenness index, Simpson index, total soil nitrogen, total soil phosphorus, and soil organic matter, but decreased plant density, species richness, Richness index, soil bulk density, water content, and pH. However, 22–24 years of long‐term complete fencing might cause redegradation of vegetation and soil nutrients, characterized by the reduction of some vegetation properties, biodiversity, total AGB, and some soil properties. Seasonal fencing with 11–13 year was more beneficial to vegetation restoration than that with completely fencing measures. Our study suggests that appropriate artificial disturbances, such as seasonal fencing (winter grazing and summer fencing), should be used after long‐term fencing in order to maintain grassland productivity and biodiversity. These findings will help to provide theoretical support for vegetation restoration and sustainable management in grassland under grazing prohibition at Mu Us desert.

Short and narrow roads are generally overlooked when assessing road impacts on biodiversity. However, these roads bisect natural environments and may cause significant impacts on wildlife in local scale. Thus, we monitored roadkills along a short two-lane road (CPM road) in Southeastern Brazil and propose mitigation strategies to reduce wildlife mortality. We monitored roadkilled vertebrates along 5 km of CPM road from 2010 to 2016 and we also compiled data from previous studies along the same road. We conducted a hotspot analysis to identify CPM road areas with significant roadkill aggregation. We recorded 77 roadkilled vertebrates from 14 taxonomic groups along the CPM road. Mammals were the most frequently recorded group (91% of roadkills), which represented 56% of all medium- and large-sized mammal species known to occur in the study area. We identified three roadkill hotspots along the CPM road. Two of them were located at two stream crossings, where the road cut across the associated riparian forests, and the other was at a road section with water drainage from a pond, also connected to a riparian forest. These riparian forests are part of the remaining natural habitat that provides connectivity between the forest remnants in the landscape, and therefore, for wildlife. Our results showed that even short and narrow roads can have considerable roadkill, which may have severe effects for wildlife on a local scale. The results stress the need to carefully look at these types of roads and propose measures to reduce impacts. We propose the creation of safe crossing opportunities in the hotspot zones combined with wildlife fencing to keep the animals off the road and guide them towards the safe crossing opportunities.