The Reliability and Effectiveness of a Radar-Based Animal Detection System

This document contains data on the reliability and effectiveness of an animal detection system along U.S. Hwy 95 near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The system uses a Doppler radar to detect large mammals (e.g., deer and elk) when they approach the highway. The system met most of the suggested minimum norms for reliability. The total time the warning signs were activated was at most 90 seconds per hour, and likely substantially less. Animal detection systems are designed to detect an approaching animal. After an animal has been detected, warning signs are activated which allow drivers to respond. Results showed that 58.1–67.9% of deer were detected sufficiently early for northbound drivers, and 70.4–85% of deer were detected sufficiently early for southbound drivers. The effect of the activated warning signs on vehicle speed was greatest when road conditions were challenging (e.g., freezing temperatures and snow- and ice-covered road surface) and when visibility was low (night). In summer, there was no measurable benefit of activated warning signs, at least not as far as vehicle speed is concerned. Depending on the conditions in autumn and winter, the activated warning signs resulted in a speed reduction of 0.69 to 4.43 miles per hour. The report includes practical recommendations for operation and maintenance of the system and suggestions for potential future research

On the road without a map: why we need an “ethic of road ecology”

Over the past two decades, our knowledge of the ecological impacts of roads has increased rapidly. It is now clear that the environmental effects of transportation infrastructure are inextricable from transportation benefits to economic, social, and cultural values. Despite the necessity of optimizing these multiple values, road planners, scientists, and practitioners have no established methodology or pluralistic approach to address growing ethical complexities. We articulate five ethical issues that could be addressed by developing an ethic of road ecology in order to facilitate the identification, reasoning, and harmonization of ethical dimensions of road planning and development. This inquiry into road ecology can draw lessons from existing applied ethics, such as in ecological restoration and urban planning, to build a narrative that is informed by both science and ethics. We illustrate five ethical issues presented through case studies that elaborate on the motivations, responsibilities, and duties that should be considered in ethically and scientifically complicated road building decisions. To address these issues, we encourage the development of a code of ethics, dedicated intellectual forums, and practical guidance to assist road planners, and more broadly transportation practitioners, to resolve complex ethical quandaries systematically. We hope this perspective encourages conversation for a holistic yet pragmatic approach to this applied ethics problem, while also assisting responsible parties as they navigate difficult moral terrain

Preventing wildlife roadkill can offset mitigation investments in short-medium term

Wildlife vehicle collisions (WVC) are a threat to wildlife and humans, killing millions of animals of numerous species, as well as causing significant damage to vehicles, drivers and passengers. Road fencing is a highly effective mitigation measure at reducing WVC, however its large-scale implementation requires a high investment. We questioned how long it would take for savings from avoided collisions to offset the investments in road fencing mitigation, focusing on vehicle damage costs. Using the information of a 3-year systematic roadkill monitoring of 1158 km in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, we estimated the real number of casualties accounting for bias in roadkill counting. We obtained information on the material costs on cars and trucks due to WVC and, considering the road traffic volume characteristics, estimated the total material costs resulting from collisions with larger animals. Cost-benefit analyses allowed estimating the time required to amortize the investment in fencing, considering its application along the full surveyed roads or only in hotspots of mortality. We recorded over 10,000 WVC, 40% of which involved animals that can cause significant material damage to vehicles, namely the endangered lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris, n = 267) and giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla, n = 608). The average material cost per accident was US$ 885 ± 1575 (mean ± SD). We show that investments are likely to pay off in 16–40 years for the mitigation of the full roads, and in 9–25 years for hotspots of mortality. Thus, road mitigation is a win-win solution for increasing traffic safety for humans and reduces road-related negative effects on biodiversity.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Novos registros do lagarto-listrado Kentropyx paulensis para São Paulo, Brasil

The endemic Cerrado teiid lizard Kentropyx paulensis is classified in the “Endangered” and “Vulnerable” categories by the lists of the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, respectively, and is therefore considered threatened. Thus, this work aimed to compile records of K. paulensis obtained in several works carried out in the Planalto Ocidental Paulista, which occupies almost half of the total area of the State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. Records were produced in seven municipalities (Anhembi, Assis, Castilho, Jaú, Piracicaba, Quatá and Santa Bárbara d'Oeste) in the hot and rainy season (December to March) in vegetation types ranging from natural environments such as Cerradão and Semideciduous Seasonal Forest to anthropized environments as reforestation and pastures of Urochloa sp. The intense process of changing the landscape that the Planalto Ocidental Paulista went through in the last century, because of the economic model that the state adopted, may have collaborated to reduce the viable areas for the maintenance of these populations. These new records indicate that the occurrence of the species may be broader, as a result of adaptations to recent conversion of cover natural that occurred in the State of São Paulo.O lagarto teídeo endêmico do Cerrado Kentropyx paulensis está classificado nas categorias “Em Perigo” e “Vulnerável” pelas listas do estado de São Paulo e Minas Gerais, respectivamente, sendo, portanto, considerado ameaçado. Com isso, esse trabalho objetivou compilar registros de K. paulensis obtidos em diversos trabalhos realizados no Planalto Ocidental Paulista, que ocupa praticamente metade da área total do Estado de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil. Foram registradas ocorrências em sete municípios (Anhembi, Assis, Castilho, Jaú, Piracicaba, Quatá e Santa Bárbara d’Oeste) no período quente e chuvoso (dezembro a março) em fitofisionomias que vão desde ambientes naturais como Cerradão e Floresta Estacional Semidecidual até ambientes antropizados como reflorestamentos e pastagens de Urochloa sp. O intenso processo de alteração da paisagem que o Planalto Ocidental Paulista passou no século passado, fruto do modelo econômico que o estado adotou, pode ter colaborado para a diminuição de áreas viáveis para a manutenção dessas populações. Estes novos registros indicam que a ocorrência da espécie pode ser mais ampla, fruto de adaptações às recentes conversões de solo e ambientes naturais ocorridos no Estado de São Paulo.&nbsp

Road infrastructure and primate conservation : introducing the Global primate roadkill database

As road infrastructure networks rapidly expand globally, especially in the tropics, previously continuous habitats are being fragmented, resulting in more frequent wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC). Primates are widespread throughout many sub-/tropical countries, and as their habitats are fragmented, they are increasingly at risk of WVC. We created the Global Primate Roadkill Database (GPRD), the largest available standardized database of primate roadkill incidents. We obtained data from published papers, un-published and citizen science databases, anecdotal reports, news reports, and social media posts. Here, we describe the collection methods for the GPRD and present the most up-to-date version of the database in full. For each primate roadkill incident, we recorded the species killed, the exact location, and the year and month the roadkill was observed. At the time of publication, the GPRD includes 2862 individual primate roadkill records from 41 countries. As primates range in more than twice as many countries, the absence of data from these countries is not necessarily indicative of a lack of primate vehicular collisions. Given the value of these data for addressing both local and global research questions, we encourage conservationists and citizen scientists to contribute to the GPRD so that, together, we can better understand the impact road infrastructure has on primates and evaluate measures which may help mitigate risk-prone areas or species

Monitoring and evaluation of the fauna underpasses located on SP-2525 highway in the city of Brotas, São Paulo

A Ecologia de Estradas é um novo campo de conhecimento e surgiu das demandas sobre estudos de impactos ambientais em áreas naturais, com a construção de empreendimentos lineares, como estradas, rodovias e linhas férreas. Sérios problemas ambientais ligados à implantação de estradas e rodovias estão sendo analisados em todo o mundo, como: dispersão de espécies exóticas, alteração do ciclo hidrológico, mudanças microclimáticas, produção de material particulado e ruído, contaminação das águas e do solo, perda de habitat, fragmentação de ambientes naturais e, principalmente, o atropelamento de animais silvestres. Vários estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos especialmente na América do Norte e Europa e medidas mitigatórias para o atropelamento de animais silvestres, como as passagens de fauna, vêm sendo criadas. Essas estruturas restituem a conectividade entre os fragmentos florestais e matrizes permeáveis e, quando efetivas nas travessias de animais, contempla-se a conservação da biodiversidade e a segurança do usuário. O estado de São Paulo possui 81 passagens de fauna em 14 rodovias diferentes e, numa delas, a SP-225, foi realizado o monitoramento de 10 passagens inferiores de fauna (PIF), distribuídas em 51 km de extensão. O trecho da rodovia em estudo corta os municípios de Dois Córregos, Brotas e Itirapina. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram comparar a efetividade em travessias de mamíferos de médio e grande porte entre diferentes tipos estruturais de PIF, novas e antigas (presentes antes do licenciamento da duplicação da rodovia), com presença e ausência de água. Três tipos diferentes de PIF foram monitorados: passagens quadradas de concreto, redondas de tubo Armco e um terceiro tipo de grande galeria. Também verificamos a influência da paisagem num entorno de 50 metros (buffers) ao redor das PIFs estudadas. O monitoramento foi realizado por meio de filmagens com câmeras digitais de vídeo e canteiros de pegadas com pó de mármore, durante oito dias por mês, no período de um ano, totalizando um esforço amostral de 96 dias. Foram registradas 800 travessias, sendo que 725 foram exclusivas para mamíferos de médio e grande porte, tendo 16 diferentes espécies representadas. As espécies que mais utilizaram as passagens foram capivara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), com 435 travessias de indivíduos, seguido de veado catingueiro (Mazama gouazoubira), com 94 indivíduos, e tatu galinha (Dasypus novemcinctus), com 52 indivíduos. Os resultados foram testados através de análises de variância e teste correlação de Spearman. Verificou-se que a presença de água é um fator altamente significativo para a travessia da fauna (X2 = 236,5; p<<0,001). Não detectamos diferença na efetividade dos três tipos de PIF estudados (ANOVA: F= 1.43, p= 0,255) embora o tipo \"grande galeria\" tenha contemplado a travessia de 15 espécies diferentes, apresentando, portanto, maior riqueza. O baixo número amostral para PIF do tipo grande galeria impediu o uso de seus resultados em testes estatísticos, porém, uma maior amostragem talvez pudesse mostrar maior sucesso desse tipo de PIF. É possível que passagens redondas e quadradas não tenham diferido no número de travessias por terem em média o mesmo tamanho (2 m x 2 m em PIFs quadradas e 2 m de diâmetro em PIFs redondas), pois talvez os mamíferos de médio e grande porte não tenham predileção por tipos estruturais específicos entre essas duas PIFs. A análise da paisagem no entorno da rodovia demonstrou que as matrizes mais presentes foram as culturas de laranja e pasto, mas a única espécie que respondeu aos tipos de matrizes foi o gambá (Didelphis albiventris), estando freqüente em passagens circundadas por cana de açúcar e pasto. Analisando a ocorrência das espécies estudadas nas PIFs, verificamos que cachorro do mato (Cerdocyon thous) e tatu (Dasypus novemcinctus) se mostraram relacionados negativamente com a presença de água (p= -0,72 e p= -0,62 respectivamente, teste de Spearman), enquanto que veado, gambá e paca se mostraram relacionados positivamente com a presença de vegetação. É possível relacionar o sucesso de travessias de mamíferos de médio e grande porte com PIFs apresentando água também dentro dos limites da paisagem considerados. Nesse sentido, tivemos 676 travessias em passagens úmidas e 46 travessias em passagens secas. A aplicação prática dessa informação é a possibilidade de modificação de tubos de drenagem fluviais já existentes em rodovias (com dimensão mínima de 1,5 m de diâmetro, ou 1,5 m x 1,5 m para caixas retangulares) para a passagem de fauna, ou a construção de novos tubos adaptados para fauna de médio e grande porte nas rodovias em licenciamento para implantação ou duplicaçãoRoad Ecology is a new field of knowledge that emerged from environmental impact studies in natural areas due to the construction of linear developments, such as roads, highways and railways. Serious environmental problems linked to the construction of roads and highways have been analyzed worldwide, such as: dispersion of exotic species, hydrological cycle changes, microclimatic changes, the production of particulate material and noise, water and soil contamination, habitat loss, natural environments fragmentation, and road kill. Many studies have been conducted especially in North America and Europe resulting in mitigation measures such as fauna crossings for the reduction of road kill. These structures restore the connectivity between forests fragments and permeable matrices, the conservation of biodiversity and safety of users is taken into consideration when it is effective for the crossings of animals. Sao Paulo State has 81 fauna crossings in 14 different highways and, in particular, there was monitoring of 10 fauna underpasses, on the SP-225 distributed over 51 km. The section of the highway in the study cuts through the municipalities of Dois Corregos, Brotas and Itirapina. The purpose of this study was to compare the different structural types, new and old (present prior to the highway duplication licensing), with and without the presence of water and their effectiveness on medium and large-sized mammals usage of fauna underpasses. Three different types of fauna underpasses were monitored: square concrete underpass, Armco tube tunnels and a third type of open spam underpass. We also verified the influence of the landscape within 50 meters (buffers) surrounding the fauna underpasses studied. The monitoring was made utilizing digital video recording cameras and marble dust beds track stations, eight days a month, during one year, the sampling totaling 96 days. There were 800 crossings registered, 725 were exclusively for medium and largesized mammals, representing 16 different species. The species that most used the crossings were the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), 435 crossings of the individuals, followed by the gray brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira), with 94 individuals, and the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus ), with 52 individuals. The results were tested through the analysis of variance and Spearman correlation test. It was found that the presence of water is a highly significant factor for the fauna crossing (X2 = 236,5; p<<0,001). We detected no difference in the effectiveness of the three types of underpasses studied (ANOVA: F= 1.43, p= 0,255) although the type \"open spam underpass\" demonstrated greater diversity with the crossings of 15 different species. The low sampling number for the type of open spam underpass prevented the usage of the results in statistical tests; however a larger sampling would probably be able to show a greater success of this type of fauna underpass structure. It is possible that there had not been a difference in the number of crossings in round culverts and square culverts because these structures have on average the same size (2m x 2m in square underpasses and 2m in diameter in round underpasses). Maybe because medium and large-sized mammals don\'t have a preference for specific structural types between these two types of fauna underpasses. The analysis of the landscape in the surrounding areas of the highway showed that the cultures of orange and pasture were the prevalent matrices, but the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) was the only specie that responded to these types of matrices. The white-eared opossum was found frequently in landscapes surrounded by sugar cane and pasture. Analyzing the occurrence of the species studied in the fauna underpasses, we verified that crab eating fox and armadillo demonstrated a negative interaction with water (p= -0,72 e p= -0,62 respectively, Spearman test), whereas gray brocket, white eared opossum and spotted paca demonstrated a positive interaction with the presence of vegetatio

Colisões envolvendo mamíferos em rodovias sob concessão do Estado de São Paulo: implicações para fauna silvestre, segurança humana e custos para a sociedade.

Roads can affect animal movement, dispersal and population aspects (i.e., increasing non-natural mortality) of wild species. Direct road mortality and the barrier effect of roads are typically identified as one of the greatest threats to wildlife. In addition, collisions with large mammals are also a threat to human safety and represent an economic cost to society. Road ecologists worldwide, have used available georeferenced locations of wildlife-vehicle collisions to determine spatial distribution patterns along and the outcomes demonstrates that wildlife-vehicle collisions are not at random, but they are spatially clustered for vertebrate species. Researcher also have used new modelling tools, such as the Species Distribution Modelling (SDM), to orient decision processes on biological conservation as predictive roadkill models (RPM) to determine variables (e.g. landscape, road design, road traffic), that could explain the collisions of specific species. I analyzed roadkill data from toll road companies in São Paulo state during 2005 to 2014. In Chapter 1, I investigated whether maintenance personnel from toll roads companies correctly identified the species of the roadkilled wild mammals on these roads. In Chapter 2, I estimated the roadkill numbers of wild medium and large sized mammals for paved roads (~6,500 km) in São Paulo, based on roadkill data from toll road companies. In Chapter 3, I used SDM approach to generate RPM for eight mammal species on all paved roads in São Paulo state, and I ran roadkill hotspot analysis to identify critical road sections for specific species or animal groups. In Chapter 4, I explored, for the first time in Brazil, the effects of animal-vehicle crashes on human safety on paved roads in São Paulo State, and I estimated the costs of these animal-vehicle crashes to society, and summarized the legal perspectives with regard to liability and associated financial compensation for animal-vehicle collisions. The chapters were specifically planned and designed to understand, in a broad perspective, the different implications related to mammal- vehicle collisions: biological conservation, human safety and economics. The outcomes from each chapter show practical recommendations so that environmental and transportation agencies in São Paulo state can work with planning and priority to reduce mammal-vehicle collisions. This should ultimately result in a road system with improved human safety, reduced unnatural mortality for both domestic and wild animal species, safe crossing opportunities for wildlife, and reduced monetary costs to society.As rodovias e o tráfego podem afetar o movimento, a capacidade de dispersão dos indivíduos e aspectos populacionais (e.g. aumento de mortalidade não natural). A mortalidade direta causada por atropelamento e o efeito de barreira nas rodovias são tipicamente identificados como uma das maiores ameaças à vida selvagem. Além disso, as colisões com mamíferos de grande porte também são uma ameaça à segurança humana e representam um custo econômico para a sociedade. Os pesquisadores especializados em Ecologia de Estradas de todo o mundo utilizam locais georreferenciados das colisões envolvendo animais para compreender os padrões de distribuição espacial. Os resultados demonstram que as colisões envolvendo animais não são aleatórias, mas são espacialmente agrupadas para espécies de vertebrados. Os pesquisadores também usam novas ferramentas de modelagem, como a Modelagem de Distribuição de Espécie (MDE), para orientar processos de decisão sobre conservação biológica como modelagem preditiva de atropelamentos para determinar variáveis (por exemplo, paisagem, design de rodovias, volume de tráfego), que poderiam explicar os atropelamentos. Nesta tese, eu analisei dados sobre atropelamentos oriundos de diferentes concessionárias de rodovias no estado de São Paulo durante o período de 2005 à 2014. No Capítulo 1, investiguei se os inspetores de tráfego das concessionárias identificavam corretamente as espécies de mamíferos silvestres atropelados nessas rodovias. No Capítulo 2, eu estimei o número de atropelamentos de mamíferos silvestres de médio e grande porte para todas as rodovias pavimentadas em São Paulo, com base em dados de atropelamentos de concessionárias (~6.500 km). No Capítulo 3, usei a abordagem MDE para gerar modelos de predição de atropelamentos para oito espécies de mamíferos silvestres em todas as rodovias pavimentadas no estado de São Paulo, e executei análise de pontos críticos de atropelamentos para identificar seções críticas de rodovias para espécies específicas ou grupos de animais. No Capítulo 4, explorei, pela primeira vez no Brasil, os efeitos de acidentes envolvendo animais na segurança humana em rodovias pavimentadas no Estado de São Paulo, bem como calculei os custos desses acidentes para a sociedade e resumi as perspectivas legais em matéria de responsabilidade civil e compensação financeira associada às colisões envolvendo animais em rodovias. Os capítulos foram especificamente planejados e executados para entender, em uma perspectiva ampla, as diferentes implicações relacionadas às colisões envolvendo veículos- automotores e mamíferos em rodovias: i) conservação biológica, ii) segurança humana e, iii) economia. Os resultados de cada capítulo apresentam recomendações práticas para que as agências ambientais e de transporte no estado de São Paulo possam trabalhar com planejamento e prioridade para reduzir colisões envolvendo mamíferos. Isso deve resultar em um sistema rodoviário mais seguro para os usuários, com menores índices de mortalidade de animais, implementação de oportunidades seguras de travessias para a fauna e redução dos custos financeiros para a sociedade