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Road construction constitutes a significant disruption to natural ecosystems. Globally, high-elevation regions are among the most fragile and sensitive ecosystems, while systematic information regarding the impact of road construction on soil properties and plant communities in these regions remains scarce. To fill this gap, this study employed a paired plot design, establishing the natural and disturbed plots along the National Highway 214 (48 years) and 219 (12 years) from Yunnan Province to Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China, with elevation ranging from 2,400 m to 4,900 m. A total of 68 sampling plots (34 locations) were selected to compare the pattern of soil properties and plant communities between the two categories along elevation gradient. Results revealed the restoration of soil properties post-disturbance had been multifaceted and long-lasting. Specifically, disturbed plots exhibited a significant increase in soil pH, while soil moisture, TC, TN, TP, NH4-N, and AK suffered substantial loss. Moreover, the strong recovery ability of shrub and herbaceous species was observed in our study, while tree communities were difficult to revert to their original state. Furthermore, the influence of elevation on vegetation restoration also varied depending on plant life forms. In light of these findings, appropriate strategies including restorative planting, soil amelioration, customized restoration plan for specific ecosystems, monitoring and adaptive management, were proposed to mitigate the negative impacts and promote the ecosystem recovery after road construction in these ecologically fragile regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature‐based management along highway rights‐of‐way (ROW) has been a focus in several states to benefit pollinators through supporting diverse and native vegetative communities. There is the potential to enhance the ecological benefits of this practice by integrating stormwater management into restoration plans and incorporating other complex, multidisciplinary factors. Historically, lack of technical assistance and limited resources has led managers to use unsustainable roadside practices that reduce the potential ecological services of the ROW; however, integrative management can aid in the prioritization of management efforts and link objectives of various resource agencies. In this literature review, we address the ecological impacts of highways and roadside management and propose a conceptual model to support managers in the development of sustainable roadside restoration plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roadkill, the result of collisions between vehicles and wildlife, is becoming one of the most important conservation issues. This is especially evident in regions such as the Cerrado savannas which are under strong land use conversion, forcing animals to move more through the landscape and thus increasing exposure to roadkill. Herein, we assess the temporal and spatial patterns of roadkill of the striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus) as well as its interaction with surrounding land use in the Brazilian Cerrado. To do so, we sampled BR-050, a nationally-important highway, for roadkilled C. semistriatus between 2015 and 2020 and used location and date to identify temporal and spatial patterns of roadkill. Furthermore, we assessed whether different land uses affected wildlife-vehicle collisions using a random forest model. We recorded 672 roadkilled individuals of C. semistriatus, and detected both monthly and yearly temporal hotspots as well as spatial hotspots. These hotspots were significantly surrounded by soy, which along with savannas and crops were the most impactful land uses. Since conservation practitioners need to know when and where there are higher risks of wildlife-vehicle collision, our results are essential for the conservation of C. semistriatus in the Cerrado by incorporating land use into roadkill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads can impact population abundance due to mortality from collisions with vehicles, habitat degradation and loss of connectivity. Some species, however, can be unaffected or even positively affected by roads and roadside environments. Despite this, there is scarce information on population‐level responses to roads. To fill this knowledge gap, we sampled medium and large mammals with camera traps near two paved roads with low and high traffic volumes in agricultural landscapes in the Brazilian Cerrado. We used Royle‐Nichols' occupancy models to investigate the effects of road proximity on the local abundance of 12 mammal species with varying susceptibility to roadkill. We found that road proximity affected only three species, all of which had high roadkill rates. While two of these species exhibited lower abundance near roads, the third showed the opposite response. For most species, irrespective of their roadkill rates, variations in local abundance were strongly correlated with habitat quality and connectivity. Species' life‐history traits, individual behaviour and the impact of roads and traffic on populations over time may explain these idiosyncratic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highways are one of the anthropogenic factors that have the greatest impact on terrestrial biodiversity. Barriers, depletion effects, and roads are the most common locations of wild animal roadkill, leading to biodiversity loss in wild vertebrates. However, the corpses of these animals can be used as opportunistic samples, an excellent source of information on topics such as population dynamics, which is one of the aims of road ecology. Nonetheless, there are only a few studies on injuries in roadkilled wild animals. Between 2018 and 2021, road monitoring was performed around three Federal Conservation Units in Brazil. Twenty-four animals, including birds, reptiles, and mammals, were collected. This study aims to characterize the lesions in wild animals that were roadkilled on roads in the Brazilian semi-arid region using necropsy and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Also, the bone mineral density was measured using QCT and compared with the number of lesions and body condition score. Four types of bone lesions were found in 13 different bones, with an average of 3.25 lesions per bird and 3.75 lesions per reptile and mammal, with no statistical difference between the means (p > 0.05). Providing a database on the main injuries found in wild animals that are frequently roadkilled serves as an aid to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation professionals who contribute to the conservation of species. In addition, the data on road ecology serves as a basis for the implementation of mitigation measures against wildlife roadkills, also contributing to the conservation of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of fauna-sensitive road design has the potential to mitigate negative impacts on wildlife caused by roads. However, our previous international review found adoption of fauna-sensitive road design has been limited at the level of transport planning, even in nations that mandate this. In Australia, where the adoption of fauna-sensitive road design is still in its early stages, a review of 57 peer-reviewed papers revealed that transport practitioners generally have not acknowledged or considered fauna-sensitive road design measures or road ecology concepts. This lack of consideration is due to deeply rooted economic interests and attitudes institutionalised within the industry. While the development of fauna-sensitive road design is possible in the Australian transport sector, a substantial institutional change driven by appropriate policies and user experiences is necessary. We recommend future studies explore practitioner experience to better understand the conditions that facilitated the voluntary adoption of fauna-sensitive road design policies in two Australian states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the integration of novel Transportation Ecology principles into transit operations, aiming to address the environmental impacts associated with surface services in urban areas and with the purpose of creating a comprehensive agenda for integrating ecological principles into transit planning and management. The research problem is to quantify the tangible benefits for transit operators, particularly in the context of mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions and improving overall operational efficiency as a motivator for transit managers to adopt Transportation Ecology principles. The study design, after analyzing the regulatory requirements, implements scenario-based methodology, utilizing data from an average Italian bus fleet to estimate potential monetary savings and benefits. Key parameters, such as maintenance costs, insurance premiums, and collision-related expenses, are analyzed to provide a realistic assessment of the economic advantages of implementing Transportation Ecology measures. The findings reveal that significant cost reductions can be achieved by minimizing accidents involving wildlife, alongside other operational improvements. The scenario demonstrates that even a small fleet, when adopting these principles, can yield substantial financial benefits, thereby making a compelling case for broader implementation. The paper concludes that while the qualitative nature of the analysis necessitates conservative estimates, the results underscore the value of incorporating ecological considerations into transit planning and management. These insights are vital for transit operators and policymakers seeking to balance environmental sustainability with operational profitability and protect urban ecosystems. This also implies the need for a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to transportation planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertebrates' roadkill impacts many species in natural areas. However, data on this topic in the Amazon domain are still scarce, especially within protected areas. In this study, we analysed data from 2 years of monitoring amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds' roadkill on five types of terrestrial transport infrastructure in a protected area in the Brazilian Amazon. We tested which vertebrate classes and feeding guilds were most recorded, the influence of seasonality and the spatial pattern of roadkill. In the studied area, 2795 roadkills were recorded, with amphibians suffering the most casualties. Most of the roadkills occurred during the rainy season (57%). Correcting the roadkill data using observer efficiency and carcass persistence time data, we concluded that mortality rates might be underestimated by up to 40 times when compared to raw data. There was no significant difference between feeding guilds concerning the number of fatalities, and rainfall and temperature significantly affected the roadkill pattern of all vertebrate classes. The spatial pattern of roadkill varied between traffic routes and vertebrate class types. The results indicate that amphibians are the most common victims of roadkill, although they are neglected in many roadkill monitoring. Consequently, mitigation strategies should prioritize periods with the highest mortality rates, as rainfall and temperature influence the frequency of these accidents. In addition, different classes of vertebrates have different patterns of impact concentration along traffic routes, which makes mitigation planning more complex. Therefore, planning to reduce vertebrate deaths from roadkill must consider each taxon's particularity and seasonality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads are an increasingly prevalent form of human activity that drives the decrease in plant community functions and threatens global biodiversity. However, few studies have focused on the changes in the function and diversity of alpine meadows caused by road infrastructure in the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, the changes in species diversity, functional diversity, and community stability were examined at different distances from the Qinghai-Tibet highway. The results showed that the road intensified the degradation of vegetation, which significantly altered species diversity and community structure. This effect gradually decreased from near to far from the highway. Plant community cover and species diversity were highest at intermediate distances (50-100 m) from the roadway; species diversity and stability were lowest in the grassland most disturbed by the road (0 m), and species diversity and functional diversity tended to stabilize farther away from the road (250 m). Our findings indicate that changes in species diversity are synchronized with changes in functional diversity, which largely determines the outcome of degraded grassland community diversity and stability. Our results provide a reference point for restoring degraded alpine areas and mitigating the ecological impacts of roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and expanding road networks threaten some avian populations through habitat loss and degradation. Barn owls (Tyto alba) have been particularly affected through roadway mortality, loss of grassland, and conversion or destruction of nesting sites. To combat declines and bolster reproduction, and as part of integrated pest management to reduce crop damage, some land managers provide supplemental owl nesting sites via the installation of nest boxes. If nearby habitat and land cover characteristics are not considered when placing boxes, such as major roads or other anthropogenic features, owls could be attracted to locations that could hinder populations further. We investigated the effects of roads and urban areas on barn owl breeding occupancy and productivity to provide information to help guide the placement of nest boxes. We monitored >300 nest boxes over the 2020 and 2021 breeding seasons in southwestern Idaho, USA, where substantial roadway mortality of barn owls occurs. Barn owls occupied >60% of nest boxes, but the likelihood of breeding occupancy decreased with increasing proximity of nest boxes to roads. Boxes 500 m from roads had a predicted probability of occupancy of over 0.9, which was nearly double that of boxes within 100 m. Proximity to roads also was associated with reduced productivity such that boxes within 100 m of roads were predicted to produce approximately 1 fewer fledgling than those 500 m away. There was no evidence that the proportion of urban area surrounding nest boxes substantially influenced breeding occupancy or productivity. Thus, land managers can consider placing nest boxes for barn owls farther from roads when possible as a potential tactic to increase the probability of breeding occupancy and to foster higher productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss is an important driver in the rapid decline of many insects. The restoration of roadside habitat has been touted as an opportunity to support communities of bumble bees and butterflies, two insect groups of conservation concern. However, it is unclear how current roadside restoration methods translate to pollinator abundance and diversity.Here, we ask how the plant communities of roadsides seeded with native and non‐native seed mixes affect bumble bee and butterfly communities 2–20 years after planting.We found that bumble bee and butterfly abundance and diversity were positively correlated with floral abundance and diversity. However, the pollinator community in plots planted with diverse native seed mixes did not differ from that found in plots seeded with species‐poor non‐native mixes, likely because many forbs in the native seed mixes had poor establishment, and all plots were readily colonised by species that were never planted.While plots with more native flowers did not necessarily support higher pollinator diversity, we did find several native plants that established well in roadsides and supported pollinators, including goldenrods (Solidago spp.), milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).Our data suggest that managing a more diverse and abundant floral community will benefit bumble bees and butterflies. Refining the composition of native seed mixes, adding more floral abundance to non‐native mixes and investing in management for native plant communities may increase the habitat value of roadsides for pollinator communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads are a widespread feature of anthropogenic landscapes, and roadsides serve as disturbed habitats suitable for ruderal plant species colonization. While roadside plant species are often exotic to a region, in some ecosystems such as the Florida scrub, roadsides are also home to numerous endemic, often imperiled species, that capitalize on open, disturbed habitat. Importantly, the co-occurrence of endemics and exotics along roadsides could threaten the populations of the endemics, yet it is unclear how frequently the two groups co-occur. Here, we conducted vegetation surveys across seven habitat types in the Florida scrub ecosystem to (1) examine the distribution and co-occurrence of scrub endemic and exotic species along sandy roadsides, and (2) determine the factors that best predict the occurrence of endemic and exotic species. We found that sandy roadsides were more frequently colonized by endemic rather than exotic plant species and that endemic and exotic species rarely co-occurred. Endemic species occurrence was best predicted by adjacent habitat type, while exotic species occurrence was best predicted by proximity to likely propagule sources. Overall, our study showed that scrub endemic and exotic species largely establish in distinct roadside areas. Our work informs our understanding of the role of roadside in species conservation as well as the potential role of biotic resistance against exotic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads, while crucial for human development and economic growth, pose significant threats to biodiversity. Large-scale road risk assessments are essential for guiding infrastructure planning, particularly in identifying areas to avoid new construction or prioritizing regions for mitigation where road networks are already established. However, conducting comprehensive assessments is challenging in regions with limited data on species’ responses to roads. In this study, we propose a methodological approach for global and regional risk assessments of road-related impacts, utilizing data on road exposure and species-level susceptibility to road effects. We first derive species-specific susceptibility to road impacts using available trait data and expert knowledge. This information is spatialized through species range maps, creating a cross-taxa susceptibility layer. We then combine this layer with infrastructure density data to produce a bivariate map that highlights the co-occurrence of susceptibility and exposure. Through this approach, we identify priority mitigation areas—regions with high susceptibility and high exposure where mitigation efforts should be concentrated—and priority preservation areas—regions with high susceptibility but low exposure that should be protected from further road development. Our case-study focuses on mustelids, a globally distributed group with significant vulnerability to road impacts yet underrepresented in road ecology studies. The results reveal that the highest-risk areas are concentrated in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and scattered across sub-Saharan Africa, where high conservation value intersects with extensive road networks, marking these as priority mitigation areas. Priority preservation areas span mainly across South America, North America, and Siberia, with some areas across Africa and Borneo. This framework offers a foundation for preliminary assessments and proactive zoning, aiding in the identification of conservation management areas across different infrastructure types and taxa. Its adaptability makes it a valuable tool for researchers, wildlife managers, and transportation planners conducting large-scale assessments of infrastructure impacts on biodiversity.

Urban road ecology focuses on the reciprocal interactions between urban road construction and the ecological environment, aiming to provide valuable insights into sustainable urban road construction. The study of road ecology has established a comprehensive research framework since the early 20th century, with urban road ecology emerging as its sub-discipline that emphasizes the strategic planning of urban roads and the internal dynamics within urban ecosystems. In order to demonstrate the broader research focus and development prospects of urban road ecology, as well as to explore its distinguishing features compared to traditional road ecology, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of urban road ecology using CiteSpace software version 6.2.R7 based on the Web of Science (WOS) database for the literature in the last 30 years. The analysis reflected the current state of research in this field across three dimensions: collaborative analysis, co-citation analysis, and keyword analysis. The results of the study revealed a scarcity of key terms and publications between 1993 and 2010, followed by an exponential surge in research activities after 2010. However, both collaborative and keyword analyses indicate a lack of long-term, in-depth research in this area, highlighting the absence of a unified system. On this basis, this paper presents three expectations for future research and briefly discusses the limitations of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpetofauna are globally declining but often overlooked in conservation efforts. Since many herpetofauna are susceptible to localized road mortality, we develop the first North American herpetofauna roadkill models to inform conservation planning. The iNaturalist Roadkills of Texas database is employed to develop and compare ensembles of feature-selected MaxEnt species distribution models (SDMs) and kernel density estimate models (KDEMs) of roadkill, including broad-taxa models (btSDMs and btKDEMs) of combined Texas herpetofauna, and single-species models for the state threatened Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) and common generalist Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer). We also novelly evaluate cross-taxa roadkill models (ctSDMs; ctKDEMs) using both broad-taxa (bctSDMs; bctKDEMs) and single-species (sctSDMs; sctKDEMs) models, assessing how well models for one taxa project sympatric roadkill of individual species, including two rare herpetofauna with insufficient data for modeling: the state threatened Texas Tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) and federally endangered Houston Toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis). Texas herpetofauna MaxEnt roadkill btSDMs and Texas Horned Lizard roadkill SDMs both outperformed corresponding poor accuracy KDEMs. Gulf Coast Toad MaxEnt roadkill SDMs and KDEMs had poor accuracy, but KDEMs had lower complexity. Texas herpetofauna roadkill bctSDMs had excellent and significantly highest accuracy in projecting cross-taxa roadkill for the Texas Horned Lizard and Texas Tortoise. Texas herpetofauna roadkill bctSDMs also best projected Houston Toad roadkill. Important MaxEnt SDM variables included distance to residential roads, human population density, percent cover developed open space, and live herpetofauna KDE. Texas herpetofauna bctSDMs can guide further roadkill surveys needed to improve models and develop mitigation plans for herpetofauna conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife‐vehicle collisions can be a significant cause of mortality for animals with ranges that overlap roads. Not all species are equally affected by roads and thus conservation practitioners need empirical data to determine appropriate mitigation measures. However, there is a lack of data on how tropical animals, in particular those on the island of Madagascar, are affected by roads and vehicular mortality. In order to fill in this gap in the literature we investigated the ecological and spatial factors influencing roadkill observations along Route National 4 in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar. We observed 80 cases of roadkill along the highway belonging to at least 13 species, including the first published record of a lemur as roadkill. We also found that the density of roadkill was lower in the area between two speedbumps, suggesting these are an effective measure to mitigate wildlife‐vehicle collisions. These results showcase that even within protected areas of Madagascar animals are at risk of vehicular mortality but mitigation measures are possible. Given the high rates of endemicity coupled with vulnerability to extinction of many Malagasy fauna there is an urgent need for more research on road ecology in Madagascar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Widespread globally, roads impact the distribution of wildlife by influencing habitat use and avoidance patterns near roadways and disrupting movement across them. Wildlife responses to roads are known to vary across species; however within species, the response to roads may depend on the season or the individual’s behavioral state. Objectives: We assess the movement behavior and space use of the most widespread large herbivore in Patagonia, the guanaco (Lama guanicoe). We estimated the preference or avoidance to paved or unpaved roads (the proximity effect) and the preference or avoidance to traverse them (the crossing effect). Methods: Using GPS collar data, we combined Hidden Markov Models with an integrated step selection analysis to segment guanaco movement trajectories into individual behaviors and test for differences in road effects on movement. Results: We found that guanacos display distinct movement responses to different types of roads depending on their behavioral state. Guanacos select for proximity to paved roads while foraging, but against them when traveling. Yet, guanacos select for unpaved roads when traveling. Despite the selection for proximity to paved roads, guanacos avoid crossing them, irrespective of their behavioral state. Conclusion: Our findings offer significant implications for guanaco distribution and management across Patagonia. The selection for roads strongly influences the distribution of guanacos, which could concentrate grazing in some areas while freeing others. Despite potential benefits such as increased vegetation near roadsides, increased association with roads while foraging may result in an ecological trap. Finally, the strong aversion to crossing paved roads raises concerns about habitat loss and connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, ungulate–vehicle collisions (UVCs) are a major human safety concern and may also represent a significant source of mortality for some ungulate populations. However, records of UVC based on counts of roadside carcasses or reports by drivers involved in these incidents are assuredly underestimated because not all ungulates struck die immediately or at the roadside or are reported by drivers or authorities. Here, we provide an observation and analysis of the movements of a GPS‐collared bison (Bison bison) that was involved in a UVC on the Alaska Highway and died in a thick boreal forest 29 days later. During that time, she moved 49.7 km from where she was hit. Her daily movement rate (in kilometers per hour) and daily net displacement (in kilometers per day) were significantly greater in the 29‐day period before she was struck compared with 29 days afterward. This vivid example illustrates that individuals injured in a UVC can die several weeks later and at a considerable distance from where they were initially struck. Moreover, when they eventually die, it may be where their carcass would not be found or associated with a UVC. Bison are the largest land mammal in North America and perhaps more robust to some lower impact UVC than smaller bodied species. Even so, if not for the GPS collar on this bison, we would have never known the fate of this individual, and the carcass likely never found. Taken together, the movements and final resting place of this bison illuminate how estimates of mortality as a result of UVC can be underestimated when the animal does not die immediately and in a location where it can be found. Given our data, we further urge managers to consider roadside counts of animals killed in UVC as a minimum estimate when considering options for mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although roads are central to human society, they have many negative environmental impacts and create risk for traveling motorists. Our aim was to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of ungulate-vehicle collision (UVC) hotspots in response to major road construction. We examined two different locations and scales in the province of Alberta, Canada: (1) a highway bypass adjacent to a large city with 4.5 km of wildlife mitigation measures (wildlife fencing and two underpasses) and (2) 55 km of rural highway that was converted from a two-lane to a four-lane divided highway. Using government police collision and carcass data (2000-2021), beforeafter and control-impact analyses were used to assess changes in UVC rates. Our approach is novel in that we tested the paired use of a clustering method known as kernel density estimation plus and a spatiotemporal stepwise modification of this method to monitor UVC hotspots. By monitoring UVCs over space and time, we could identify stable vs. ephemeral UVC hotspots, a fence-end effect, and a barrier effect due to traffic volume, and we could explore hotspot stability before and after construction. The wildlife mitigation measures along the highway bypass resulted in 86% fewer UVCs compared to an unmitigated highway. At a larger scale, however, net benefits were affected by road density. The construction of a four-lane divided highway with no wildlife mitigation measures and an increase in the posted speed limit resulted in a slight increase in UVCs and the reemergence of the majority of historical UVC hotspots. Our analysis highlighted the need to incorporate wildlife considerations at a variety of scales throughout the transportation planning and mitigation evaluation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: To investigate the major impact of roads on wildlife, most studies focus on hot-spots of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) to identify areas in need of mitigation measures. However, on road stretches where the frequency of WVC is low, a question arises: is this because those locations are 'safe’ places for wildlife to cross the road with little risk of collisions; or is it because individuals avoid approaching and crossing the road in these locations? Objectives: In this study, we addressed this gap by evaluating how roe deer crossings are related to WVC risk across the road network. Methods: We used 56 076 WVC locations between 2013 and 2017 to predict the spatiotemporal risk zones in response to environmental, road-related and seasonal predictors using Species-Distribution Modelling (SDM). We compared the predictive WVC risk to the location of 20 744 road crossing by 46 GPS-collared roe deer individuals. Results: We found that the risk of WVC with roe deer tends to be higher on federal roads that are present in a density of approximate 2.2 km/km2 and surrounded by broad-leafed forests and demonstrate that SDMs can be a powerful tool to predict the risk of WVC across the road network. Roe deer crossed roads more frequently in high WVC risk areas. Temporally, the number of WVC changed throughout the year, which can be linked to roe deer movement patterns rather than landscape features. Within this study, we did not identify any road segments that were a complete barrier to roe deer movement. Conclusions: The absence of complete barriers to roe deer movement detected in the present study, might be due to the low spatial variation of the landscape, coupled with the high individual variation in movement behaviour. By applying our approach at greater spatial scales and in other landscape contexts, future studies can continue to explore the potential barrier impacts of roads on landscape connectivity. Exploring the relationship between crossing activity and collision risk can improve one’s ability to correctly identify road stretches that require mitigation measures to improve connectivity versus reduce collisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads threaten the conservation of many wildlife species. Carnivores are one of the most susceptible groups due to their habitat requirements. We explored the roadkill patterns of European polecats (Mustela putorious) on motorways and roads to investigate if these patterns depend on road type, a research topic frequently neglected in the literature. We studied 85 roadkills on motorways and 73 on roads, and the corresponding number of random points with no roadkills in every road type. We characterized them with 7 habitat and 7 road-related variables. Roadkill sites were significantly associated with the abundance of rabbit burrows. However, this effect was stronger on motorways, as they provide more suitable habitat for the establishment of prey species on their wider rights-of-way, or on the road interchange islands, which provide wide unused spaces. In contrast, road interchange islands on conventional roads that are simple intersections and have narrower rights-of-way. Furthermore, roadkills occurred in areas with lower agricultural cover. Thus, natural habitats on roadsides could act as alternative foraging areas for this carnivore increasing their roadkill risk. Our results showed the need to consider the characteristics such as the availability of prey or the surrounding habitat, as well as intrinsic characteristics of the road type when studying wildlife roadkills as the road-type-mediated patterns demand-specific mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife roadkill studies need to cope with a mismatch among recorded carcasses and actual road mortality, because of the existence of three biases: crippling, carcass‐persistence, and observer bias. Here, we focused on the often overlooked crippling bias, suggesting that it should be called carcass‐location bias and disentangling the related three possible outcomes for affected wildlife: injured animal escaping and dying away from road, animal rebounding off the road after vehicle collision, and animal retained by vehicle. Such outcomes can probably be affected by different species traits, and, in order to make a first evaluation of this hypothesis, we opportunistically collected 150 direct observations on the ultimate fate of roadkilled vertebrates. Approximately one third of them were affected by carcass‐location bias, so extremely difficult to be recorded through typical roadkill surveys, entailing a considerable and overlooked source of error for roadkill studies and mitigation actions based on them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads have direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity, although the impacts on insects are not yet fully understood. In a plantation forestry-dominated landscape in South Africa, where natural grasslands make up ecological networks of conservation corridors among plantation compartments, we investigated the impact of maintained unpaved roads and unmanaged tracks on dung beetles. We show that these two types of roads have little impact on dung beetle species richness and assemblage structure, indicating that road verges are attractive habitats for dung beetles. Yet, nocturnal dung beetle abundance increased with distance away from roads, suggesting that areas farther away from roads are important to maintain their population sizes. Vegetation characteristics, especially total cover by grasses and overall vegetation height, were important drivers of dung beetles, yet substrate characteristics were unimportant. With vegetation characteristics being related to road maintenance, roads in the landscape have an indirect impact on dung beetle species richness, abundance, and assemblage composition, rather than a direct impact. Road construction in production landscapes is unavoidable, and their edges are attractive to dung beetles. This means that road users should avoid unnecessary road killings by strictly keeping to the road tracks. Habitat heterogeneity across the overall landscape should be encouraged to minimize current and future impacts of roads on dung beetles. The expansion of road networks, or the maintenance of existing road networks, should be done cautiously so as to promote habitat heterogeneity which is important for maintaining regional dung beetle diversity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In an increasingly human- and road-dominated world, the preservation of functional ecosystems has become highly relevant. While the negative ecological impacts of roads on ecosystems are numerous and well documented, roadless areas have been proposed as proxy for functional ecosystems. However, their potential remains underexplored, partly due to the incomplete mapping of roads. We assessed the accuracy of roadless areas identification using freely available road-data in two regions with contrasting levels of anthropogenic influence: boreal Canada and temperate Central Europe (Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, and Hungary). Within randomly selected circular plots (per region and country), we visually examined the completeness of road mapping using OpenStreetMap 2020 and assessed whether human influences affect mapping quality using four variables. In boreal Canada, roads were completely mapped in 3% of the plots, compared to 40% in Central Europe. Lower Human Footprint Index and road density values were related to greater incompleteness in road mapping. Roadless areas, defined as areas at least 1 km away from any road, covered 85% of the surface in boreal Canada (mean size ± s.d. = 272 ± 12,197 km2), compared to only 0.4% in temperate Central Europe (mean size ± s.d. = 0.6 ± 3.1 km2). By visually interpreting and manually adding unmapped roads in 30 randomly selected roadless areas from each study country, we observed a similar reduction in roadless surface in both Canada and Central Europe (27% vs 28%) when all roads were included. This study highlights the urgent need for improved road mapping techniques to support research on roadless areas as conservation targets and surrogates of functional ecosystems.

Urban expansion across the globe profoundly impacts local biodiversity. The growing body of urban ecology research on animals has largely focused on mammals and birds, whereas knowledge of insect ecology and conservation in urban areas remains limited.To anchor this Special Issue (SI), we have taken a broad approach to editorial and conducted a structured literature search to set the scene. We provide here an overview of existing literature reviews on urban insect ecology and conservation, indicate where the articles included in this SI contribute to developing our understanding and point to priority areas for further investigation.Key themes in the growing literature (at individual, species, and/or community level) include the influence of habitat quality, quantity and land use type on insect diversity; the impacts of anthropogenic pollution (for instance, heat, noise, light and chemicals); habitat connectivity and changes in habitat structure and impacts of urban density on genetic diversity. Insect diversity and abundance broadly decline with urban density and loss of habitat. Beyond this, variation in responses of different taxa, or in different regions, and methodological limitations of individual studies make it challenging to identify general patterns.Insect ecology and conservation research in urban environments should focus on applying ecological theory to understand variation in diversity patterns; investigating interactions between climate change and urban contexts; identifying impacts of novel environments on insect biodiversity; addressing methodological limitations and harmonising methodological approaches; and exploring the influence of social and historical factors on urban insect biodiversity. Insect conservation must also consider research into how best to communicate the value of urban insects to urban humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread impacts of roads on animal movement have led to the search for innovative mitigation tools. Wildlife crossing structures (tunnels or bridges) are a common approach; however, their effectiveness remains unclear beyond isolated case studies.We conduct an extensive literature review and synthesis to address the question: What is the evidence that wildlife crossing structures mitigate the barrier effect of roads on wildlife movement? In particular, we investigated whether wildlife crossing structures prevented an expected decline in cross‐road movement, restored movement to pre‐construction conditions, or improved movement relative to taking no action.In an analysis of 313 studies, only 14% evaluated whether wildlife crossing structures resulted in a change in animal movement across roads. We identified critical problems in existing studies, especially the lack of benchmarks (e.g. pre‐road, pre‐mitigation, or control data) and the use of biased comparisons.Wildlife crossing structures allowed cross‐road movement in 98% of data sets and improved movement in ~60%. In contrast, the decline of wildlife movement was prevented in fewer than 40% of cases. For most structure types and species groups there was insufficient evidence to draw generalisable conclusions.Synthesis and Applications: The evidence to date suggests that wildlife crossing structures can mitigate the barrier effect of roads on wildlife movement, but in many cases have been poorly implemented or evaluated. The most supported measures were the addition of ledges and vegetation cover to increase movement for small mammals; underpasses to prevent the decline in movement of ungulates following road construction; and improving road‐crossing for arboreal mammals using canopy bridges and vegetated medians. We strongly recommend that future use of crossing structures closely adheres to species‐specific, best‐practice guidelines to improve implementation and be paired with a thorough evaluation that includes benchmark comparisons, particularly for measures and species that lack sufficient evidence (e.g. invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and overpasses). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians are disproportionately represented among the many vertebrate taxa that are declining globally. Few long-term studies of amphibians exist, especially in temperate climates, hindering our understanding of long-term trends in amphibian communities, which may delay or prevent management action. Here, we develop and deploy an inexpensive monitoring method with potentially broad scientific and community uptake, ‘rapid road surveys’. We test whether this protocol is useful in understanding relative abundance in an amphibian community over a 17-year period. From 2003 to 2019, we performed thousands of rapid (5–15 min) amphibian surveys and recorded the number of on-road amphibians along a single, 267 m stretch of secondary roads in rural Canada. Assuming that on-road occurrence reflects relative amphibian population sizes, we show that amphibians have declined by approximately 73% from 2003 to 2019. The decline was driven by a remarkable 91% decrease in the abundance of northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens), the species comprising the most observation records, while all other species did not show a temporal trend. We cannot attribute a definitive mechanism to the L. pipiens decline. However, by ruling out a number of putative causes, we hypothesize that it may be related to land-use change or infectious disease. Our results show that a simple, temporally replicated road survey protocol, deployed in a spatially restricted area, can be a valuable tool for conservation scientists to understand trends in abundance across an entire community. We discuss how these rapid road surveys are likely a viable option for future community science initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical step to design wildlife mitigating measures is the identification of roadkill hotspots. However, the effectiveness of mitigations based on roadkill hotspots depends on whether spatial aggregations are recurrent over time, spatially restricted, and most importantly, shared by species with diverse ecological and functional characteristics. We used a functional group approach to map roadkill hotspots for mammalian species along the BR-101/North RJ, a major road crossing important remnants of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We tested if functional groups present distinct hotspot patterns, and if they converge into the same road sectors, in that case, favoring optimal mitigating actions. Roadkill rates were monitored and recorded between October/2014 and September/2018 and species were classified into six functional groups based on their home range, body size, locomotion mode, diet, and forest-dependency. Hotspots along the roads were mapped for comparison of spatial patterns between functional groups. Results demonstrated that the roadkill index varied idiosyncratically for each functional group throughout the months and that no group presented seasonality. Seven hotspots were shared by two or more functional groups, highlighting the importance of these road stretches to regional mammal fauna. Two of the stretches are associated with aquatic areas extending from one side of the road to the other, and the remaining are connected to patches of native vegetation on both sides. This work brings a promising approach, yet hardly used in ecological studies on roads to analyze roadkill dynamics, assigning more importance to ecological instead of taxonomical characteristics, normally used to identify spatiotemporal patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing development of highways severely threatens several vertebrates due to habitat fragmentation, edge effects and roadkills. Understanding how the landscape influences the occurrence of roadkills on highways can provide insights into the preferred routes of fauna dispersion and define the priority stretches to implement mitigation actions. This study evaluated the association between landscape characteristics and fauna roadkills on the BR‐158 highway (State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), where the adjacent vegetation encompasses phytophysiognomies of the Cerrado, a severely threatened biome. The spatial distribution of recorded road‐killed vertebrates (secondary data) was analysed using the statistical tool 2D Hotspot Identification, which defined the stretches with the highest mortality (hotspots). The surrounding landscape within a 1 km buffer zone around the highway was characterized based on area and distance information considering the land use and cover. Generalized linear models were applied to test the influence of locations on roadkill, considering the landscape characteristics as independent variables and the presence/absence of roadkill as the dependent variable. Our results indicated two hotspot stretches along the BR‐158 highway and a higher probability of roadkill in stretches associated with riparian forests and more distant from urban areas. The identification of landscape characteristics associated with the occurrence of vertebrate roadkills can help guide the planning and monitoring of highways. Furthermore, in dry ecosystems such as the Cerrado, we must provide information to implement priority actions in stretches of riparian forest, aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of highways on local biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Road networks are related to two global problems: habitat loss and degradation, and the decline of biodiversity. Wildlife roadkill is one of the most obvious and immediate impacts of linear infrastructure that affects all vertebrate groups, and some species,such aslarge carnivores, are more susceptible to fragmentation by roads due to their wide-ranging movements and home ranges. Aims. Recently, black bear (Ursus americanus) sightings have increased in urban and suburban areas. The objectives of this study were: to identify and characterise road crossing sites used by black bears; to understand whether bears select specific landscape or road features for crossing; to compare crossing and roadkill sites; and to identify the most important variables in both groups to propose short-term mitigation strategies. Methods. For the analysis of crossing sites, black bear individuals were captured from 2014 to 2018 and released with a GPS collar. We also calculated the dynamic model of Brownian motion to identify the road crossing sites. We obtained collision records from field work and government agencies. We performed Firth’s penalisedlikelihood logistic regression models to identify the most important variables of highway or landscape in the probability of crossing or roadkill. Key results. We captured 15 black bear individuals (11 males and four females), seven of which crossed a road at least once. Most of the crossings occurred during the night, which explains the results of the regression model between crossing and roadkill sites because crossings are a function of the percentage of buses and urban use. We also found that the speed at roadkill sites is significantly higher than at crossing sites. Conclusions. This study contributed aspects necessary to understand the management of highways and reduce their impact on the black bear population in Mexico, such as the identification of priority mitigation sites. Systematic monitoring of roadkill in Mexico is required to propose specific mitigation sites that will benefit more vertebrate groups. Implications. The information generated in this research forms the basis of identification of optimal sites for strategies to mitigate the bear–road conflict and help the conservation of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Accurately estimating wildlife roadkill is necessary to compare differentroads, periods, and species, and to plan and assess mitigation effectiveness. We must account for the two main sources of errors associated with carcass sampling – carcass detection and persistence. Open-population models are used to estimate abundance, survival probabilities, and recruitment in living animal populations, accounting for imperfect detection, and they can be used in the context of animal fatalities. Aims. The aim of this study was to explore an open-population approach to estimate comparable roadkill rates from carcass capture–recapture data, accounting for carcass detection and persistence. Methods. We surveyed carcasses of the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) and blackand-white tegu lizard (Salvator merianae) on four road stretches using two sampling designs with different number of visits and sampling sessions. Carcasses were marked to be recaptured over visits within the same sampling session,resulting in a capture history for each carcass. Encounter history data were modelled using the superpopulation formulation of the open-population capture–recapture model under Bayesian inference for different datasets. A daily roadkill rate per kilometre was derived from the model entry probability estimate. Key results. We estimated a daily roadkillrate with 1501 captures from 447 opossum carcasses and 511 captures from 218 tegu carcasses. For full data, mean carcass detection overthe sessionsranged from 0.49 to 0.85 forthe opossum and from 0.27 to 0.80 for the tegu, and mean carcass persistence ranged from 0.60 to 0.94 forthe opossum and from 0.64 to 0.91 for the tegu. Scenarios with more occasions and captures increased precision of roadkill rates. Conclusions. We were able to explicitly estimate roadkill rates using an open-population capture– recapture model under a Bayesian framework. It provides accurate roadkill numbers for a known time frame and road extension, accounting for imperfect detection and its associated uncertainty. Under scenarios of few carcasses, users should consider a higher number of occasions. Implications. Not addressing carcass sampling errors or simplistically addressing them (e.g. only once during the study period) could mislead mitigation efforts. The approach used here can be used to estimate fatalities in other locations, such as windfarms and powerlines, for which repeated observations of marked carcasses are an option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Globally, ungulate–vehicle collisions (UVCs) are a major human safety concern and may also represent a significant source of mortality for some ungulate populations. However, records of UVC based on counts of roadside carcasses or reports by drivers involved in these incidents are assuredly underestimated because not all ungulates struck die immediately or at the roadside or are reported by drivers or authorities. Here, we provide an observation and analysis of the movements of a GPS‐collared bison (Bison bison) that was involved in a UVC on the Alaska Highway and died in a thick boreal forest 29 days later. During that time, she moved 49.7 km from where she was hit. Her daily movement rate (in kilometers per hour) and daily net displacement (in kilometers per day) were significantly greater in the 29‐day period before she was struck compared with 29 days afterward. This vivid example illustrates that individuals injured in a UVC can die several weeks later and at a considerable distance from where they were initially struck. Moreover, when they eventually die, it may be where their carcass would not be found or associated with a UVC. Bison are the largest land mammal in North America and perhaps more robust to some lower impact UVC than smaller bodied species. Even so, if not for the GPS collar on this bison, we would have never known the fate of this individual, and the carcass likely never found. Taken together, the movements and final resting place of this bison illuminate how estimates of mortality as a result of UVC can be underestimated when the animal does not die immediately and in a location where it can be found. Given our data, we further urge managers to consider roadside counts of animals killed in UVC as a minimum estimate when considering options for mitigation.

The proximity to roads can change the richness, species composition and the abundance of individuals in the biological communities. Similarly, the number of individuals and the roadkilled species are influenced by the dynamics in the community around roads. The main goal of the study was to determine which species of medium and large-size mammals are more susceptible to roadkill and possible relationships with their ecological traits. The study was developed at the southern limit of the distribution of the Atlantic Forest, southern Brazil. Data collection was carried out for one year, from July 2018 to June 2019. We collected data about the richness and abundance of medium and large roadkilled mammals and in the forest fragments around BR153 road. We recorded a total of 15 species of medium and large-size mammals. The number of roadkills seems to reflect the number of records in the surrounding area, although it is not mandatory. The number of roadkills seems to be associated with a set of factors that increase the possibility of collision with vehicles. The ecological traits by themselves do not indicate an elevated chance of roadkill. The main factors that increase the chances of roadkill in the studied region are broad habitat use and the abundance in the surrounding areas. The ecological traits that decrease the likelihood of roadkills are related to the restricted use of forest fragments. Our data indicate that the capacity to move and occupy different environments, mainly associated with high abundance, increases the probability of roadkills.

The construction of roads obstructs animal movement, which directly results in fatal wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs). Owing to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, movement restrictions were imposed by the Korean government between February and March 2020, which represented the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, this study examined the effects of reduced traffic volume on WVCs. The study selected the Dangjin−Yeongdeok, Jungang, and Jungbu Expressways as study sites since they have the highest occurrence of WVCs in Korea. The sections of these expressways with the highest densities of WVCs were denoted as WVC hotspots. We categorized the period from February to March 2020 as ‘strict pandemic’. In addition, the period from February to March 2015–2019 was categorized as “pre-strict pandemic”, and between April 2020 and December 2020 was classified as the “pandemic period”. We analyzed the relationship between WVC and traffic volume for each period in the designated hotspots. As a result, there were statistically significant differences in WVCs and traffic volumes across all routes for different periods. WVCs and traffic volume showed a strong negative correlation during the strict pandemic period. WVC per traffic volume was positively correlated between the strict pandemic period and the pandemic period, while it was negatively correlated between pre-strict pandemic and strict pandemic periods. The deceleration in WVC continued after all routes were out of strict pandemic. This study shows that WVC and traffic volume are negatively correlated and that a strong, albeit temporary, traffic reduction can help reduce WVC. Therefore, the overall quantitative conclusion of this study on the interaction can serve as a valuable reference to develop practical strategies for preventing WVCs.

The mortality of wildlife on roadways is a major conservation concern worldwide. Amphibians and reptiles are especially vulnerable to vehicular collisions, and this is of particular concern in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (Ontario, Canada) where several species are near their geographic limits of distribution and designated as species-at-risk. We completed regular surveys (n = 270) of two major highways in the Reserve, each slightly less than 40 km in length. All observations of wildlife-vehicle collisions were documented for two years on each road, including 18,278 frogs, turtles, and snakes. We used kernel density estimation to map relative magnitude of this mortality and built a suite of regression tree models to assess the influence of landcover and other habitat factors on roadkill at two scales (1 ha and 20 ha). Sample size was large enough to conduct species-level analyses for Chrysemys picta marginata (midland painted turtle) and Nerodia sipedon (northern watersnake). Spatial clustering of roadkill was evident on both roads and for all taxa. However, the extent of clustering varied between the two roadways due to differences in landcover pattern and clustering was more discrete for frogs and turtles than for snakes. For frogs, turtles, and northern watersnakes we found that elevated levels of mortality were positively associated with the amount of wetland and open water in adjacent areas as well as the proximity of water features. However, mortality locations for other species of snakes were more closely associated with upland habitat types. While some generalities emerge from our study, the variation also suggests that caution be exercised when attempting to extend results to different taxa and roadways, especially since these results may vary with scale. Nonetheless, scale-related differences can be informative for identifying the location of roadkill mitigation efforts and we illustrate how such an approach could be implemented for snakes that exhibit less discrete clustering of mortality.

The incidence of roadkill and habitat fragmentation caused by human development and road networks is on the rise. Cats primarily consume artificial food and engage in hunting near urban areas. Their numbers have an impact on the ecosystem, and cat roadkill incidents are also prevalent. In South Korea, roadkill observations are conducted by the road management agency and the Korea Roadkill Observation System. Over a 3-year period, the number of cat roadkill incidents resulted in 19,973 recorded cases, and the highest rate was in Busan Metropolitan City. Cat roadkill incidents were most prevalent during October and November. Also When analyzed at the local government level, Dangjin-si, Yangpyeong-gun, and Busan Metropolitan City exhibited the highest concentrations. This research offers essential insights for managing the cat population and mitigating cat roadkill occurrences.

Roads, railways and infrastructure are constructed with consideration of their environmental impacts, especially habitat fragmentation. Wildlife crossing structures increase the permeability of roads and other linear infrastructures for wildlife by allowing animals to safely cross under or over roads and by reducing the risk of wildlife-vehicle collosions. We investigated the location and type of 564 wildlife crossing structures in South Korea. Between April and October 2023, we identified 365 overpasses and 199 underpasses of wildlife crossing structures respectively. Gyeonggi-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do had the largest number of wildlife crossing structures. This study can provide basic information for the effective management of wildlife crossing structures.

This article discusses the negative impacts of roads on amphibians and reptiles, known as herpetofauna, and the effectiveness of mitigation structures in reducing these impacts. Roads can act as barriers to movement and increase mortality rates for these species. The article presents research on road mortality, effects of roads on movement behavior, and the design and maintenance of barriers and passages. It emphasizes the need for long-term monitoring and research to inform conservation efforts and maintain viable populations of herpetofauna. [Extracted from the article]

Fires cause wild vertebrates to try to escape, thereby leading to an increase in attempts to cross roads and consequently an increase in the number of roadkills. However, the study of the impact of fires on roadkilling of wild vertebrates is practically nonexistent. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between fires near a 180 km highway stretch in Southeast Brazil and wild vertebrate roadkills using a 7-year dataset on roadkills and satellite data on fires, hypothesizing that roadkills would increase after fires. We found that the number of roadkilled wild vertebrates increased by about 144% (P = 0.020) in highway sections up to 1 km from fires, within 7–8 days after the fires. The number of roadkills in highway sections affected by fires was also higher than that of neighboring (control) section (P = 0.028). Taken together, these results show there was a significant increase in the number of roadkills on road sections close to or within burned areas. This work emphasizes the importance of analyzing the synergistic effects of fires and roadkill of wild vertebrates and guides research on adopting an experimental design which allows for temporal and spatial controls using retrospective data on fires and roadkilling. We recommend decreasing traffic flow and/or vehicle speed near areas recently affected by fires, as a preventive management strategy.

The Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is a common breeder in Hungary. It is a resident bird of open areas, staying near nesting sites in winter. Its population is strongly influenced by food availability, weather conditions and several anthropogenic activities. One of the most important factors of these in recent decades has been road mortality. In this work, we processed data of roadkilled individuals and field observation records in the Csanádihát region in south-eastern Hungary from the period 1995–2022. In Battonya, we have been recording roadkill individuals since 1995, while observations of Barn Owl individuals from Kevermes have been available since 2005. The species is a regular, but scarce breeder in the area, so both the number of roadkilled individuals and the number of field observations were relatively low. Nevertheless, we had the opportunity to examine how the number of individuals of the species that were killed in the traffic varied over time and within years. According to our data, more birds collided during the winter, and also between July and November. This can be explained mostly by the seasonal lack of food and the fledging time of inexperienced juveniles. The temporal distribution of field observations were different from the dynamics of the roadkills, as the species was mainly observed during the breeding season. The exact population size of the area can be difficultly estimated, as it breeds mainly in attics of stable, granary and church buildings. The breeding population of Kevermes was estimated at 3–4 pairs and did not change significantly in the studied period. Over the same 28-year period, using the same methods to the two other most common nesting owl species of the region, we found that the within-year roadkill dynamics of the Little Owl (Athene noctua) and the Northern Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) differed from that of the Western Barn Owls, which may be due to the different feeding habits of the species. We can conclude that the number of roadkilled birds was proportional to the local population of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main things wildlife does for survival is movement. Wild animals need movement to meet their needs, such as reproduction, breeding, foraging, and dispersal. Although wildlife species use roads for various purposes, they also use them when moving from one habitat to another. In recent years, especially when it comes to habitat fragmentation brought about by urbanization, wild animals frequently use highways. Highways have a wide range of effects on factors such as biodiversity, wildlife, and ecology. Roads can cause habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and habitat degradation; alter the composition of vegetation; act as barriers to the flow of genes and movement; increase human access to pristine areas; and even increase the risk of extinction for many threatened species. Species belonging to the family Cervidae also include the species most affected by road networks. Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758) is the smallest of the 3 Cervid species living in Turkey. Roe deer are often injured or die in road accidents, and they are one of the most important species affected by the adverse effects of roads in Turkey. For this reason, it was investigated whether the road tunnel construction affected the distribution of roe deer in the region. In the study, the general distribution of roe deer in the Ilgaz Mountain, and the factors affecting their possible distribution were determined by ecological niche modeling. Data were taken between before (2012–2015) and after the highway tunnel built (2020–2022) in Ilgaz Mountain, which connects the Western Black Sea and Central Anatolia and is located in the middle of Kastamonu and Çankırı provinces. As a result of the modeling, it was found that before the construction of the tunnel, the most influential factor in the distribution of the deer was road density. After the tunnel construction, roads ceased to be the main factor affecting the distribution of the species. This study showed that roe deer are disturbed by the density of vehicles on the road passing through the middle of their habitat. With the decrease in the number of vehicles, they are more willing to cross the road and tend to use the areas close to the road as they are less disturbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reptiles are an understudied group in road ecology, despite evidence of their high vulnerability to road mortality. Recently, trait‐based models have been demonstrated to be valuable tools for explaining and predicting road mortality risks for birds and mammals. The present study aimed to apply such models to reptiles for the first time. We fitted eight random forest regression models, controlling for different survey design variables, to explain 782 empirical road‐kill rates for Brazilian reptiles and selected the best‐performing model to predict road mortality risks for 572 continental species. The results showed that species that are habitat generalists, omnivorous, viviparous, cathemeral, and have intermediate clutch or litter sizes are at a higher risk of being road‐killed. The relationships for other traits included in our models were uncertain, but our findings suggest that population density and species‐specific behavioural responses to roads and traffic may play an important role in road mortality risks. Geographical location and survey design variables (especially sampling speed and sampling time) were more important in explaining the variance of the empirical road‐kill rates than any of the tested ecological and functional traits. Besides adding evidence of the vulnerability of the Amazon region to vertebrate road‐kills, this study highlights some similarities between the relationships identified here and those found for birds and mammals (such as with body mass and habitat breadth). We also corroborate that trait‐based models are useful tools to aid in conservation efforts but indicate that they can be biased by the methodologies used to collect empirical data. Future road‐kill surveys should therefore use methods specifically designed for reptiles and estimate both observer efficiency and carcass removal rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial aggregation patterns of wildlife-vehicle collisions are used to inform where mitigation measures are most needed. Based on 10 years of observations of vertebrate roadkill on the Ring Changbai Mountain Scenic Road, the spatial distribution characteristics of roadkill incidence were analyzed in this study. Using the field survey method to investigate roadkill incidents and their influencing factors, we applied generalized linear mixed modeling (GLMM) for model selection and constructed roadkill models for different taxa groups. The spatial distribution patterns of roadkill hotspots vary among different taxa and exhibit a unimodal or multimodal distribution. The road section along a river and with a minimal distance between the road and the water has a high incidence of roadkill. The density of roadkill for various taxa decreases as the distances from rivers, bridges, and ponds increases. However, there appears to be no correlation between the density of bird roadkill and any factors. Finally, wildlife crossing facilities and guidance measures aimed at reducing the incidence of roadkill and enhancing the selection of routes and wildlife crossing structures in the area are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads impact wildlife around the world; however, dedicated studies are lacking in many biodiverse areas such as the Amazon. Identifying which species are more often hit by vehicles and which landscape and road-related features promote roadkill is essential to guide future development and ensure adequate mitigation actions. For six months, we monitored 240 km of roads in the Ecuadorian Amazon and recorded 1125 dead vertebrates (149 species). Reptiles were the most observed Class with 380 individuals (56 species), followed by amphibians with 278 individuals (11 species), birds with 259 individuals (62 species), and mammals with 208 individuals (20 species). We used Random Forest models to explore the role of various land cover types and road sinuosity on the observed mortality. Additionally, we created heatmaps to visualize the road segments where roadkills were more frequent. For all vertebrates, mortality was more likely in straight road sections near rivers. The effects of other variables were taxa-specific. Amphibian mortality was more likely near bare soil or forest, birds and mammals died more often near herbaceous-shrubby vegetation, and reptile mortality occurred more often in areas with high cover of agriculture. Road segments with high mortality (i.e., roadkill hotspots) varied across taxa. These hotspots identify areas where further research into mitigation is needed to assess road impacts and prevent collisions. Among records, we found rare and threatened species, for which road mortality could be a significant threat. Roadkill surveys not only aid in quantifying threats and informing future planning but can also provide insight into local biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assessment of animal roadkill can help develop road mitigation measures. This article is the first to report data on animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) in Nanjing, a supercity in eastern China. The research was conducted on a 224.27 km stretch of nine roads in Nanjing. In the period, between November 2020 and October 2021, 26 fortnightly monitoring missions were conducted to gather roadkill carcasses so that we could analyze their temporal and spatial distribution patterns. A total of 259 carcasses were collected, comprising 22 different species, of which 46.42% were mammals and 48.81% were birds. Cats and dogs are the most roadkill mammals, and blackbirds and sparrows are the most roadkill birds. The temporal analysis demonstrated that the peak of vertebrate roadkill occurred from May to July. Spatial analysis showed that the distribution patterns of vertebrate roadkill on different roads varied with a generally non-random distribution and aggregation. By mapping accidents using kernel density analysis, we were able to pinpoint locations that were at high risk for roadkill. Due to the fortnightly survey, our results would underestimate the casualties, even if, our study suggests that the problem of car accidents due to animals should be a cause for concern, and the results of the analysis of temporal and spatial patterns contribute to the establishment of mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]