Massive immigration balances high anthropogenic mortality in a stable eagle owl population: Lessons for conservation

Schaub, Michael; Aebischer, Adrian; Giménez, Olivier; Berger, Silvia; Arlettaz, Raphaël

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.04.047

Cited by 106 publications

(113 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Overall, our study contributed to clarifying the bird mortality risk due to collisions in railways, adding to just a few previous studies addressing this issue (SCV 1996;Peña and Llama 1997;van der Grift and Kuijsters 1998;Schaub et al 2010, see also Chap. 2).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…The few studies addressing these problems reported that birds can account for over 50% of the vertebrates killed in railways (SCV 1996;van der Grift and Kuijsters 1998), and that collisions may often involve species of conservation concern such as owls and birds of prey (Peña and Llama 1997;SCV 1996;Schaub et al 2010). For some of these species, railway-related mortality may represent a considerable proportion of the overall mortality (van der Grift and Kuijsters 1998;Schaub et al 2010), and thus may be a risk worth considering when designing or managing railways. However, the few studies conducted so far have covered just a very limited range of species and environmental conditions, making it difficult to draw generalizations (see Chap.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

et al. 2017

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Many studies have evaluated bird mortality in relation to roads and other human structures, but little is known about the potential impacts of railways. In particular, it is uncertain whether railways are an important mortality source when crossing wetlands heavily used by aquatic birds. Here we analyze bird collisions in a railway that crosses the Nature Reserve of the Sado Estuary (Portugal) over an annual cycle, documenting bird mortality and the flight behaviour of aquatic birds in relation to a bowstring bridge. During monthly surveys conducted on 16.3 km of railway, we found 5.8 dead birds/km/10 survey days in the section crossing wetland habitats (6.3 km), while <0.5 dead birds/km/10 survey days were found in two sections crossing only forested habitats. Most birds recorded were small songbirds (Passeriformes), while there was only a small number of aquatic birds (common moorhen, mallard, flamingo, great cormorant, gulls) and other non-passerines associated with wetlands (white stork). During nearly 400 h of observations, we recorded 27,000 movements of aquatic birds across the Sado bridge, particularly in autumn and winter. However, only <1% of movements were within the area of collision risk with trains, while about 91% were above the collision risk area, and 8% were below the bridge. Overall, our case study suggests that bird collisions may be far more numerous in railways crossing wetland habitats than elsewhere, although the risk to aquatic birds may be relatively low. Information from additional study systems would be required to evaluate whether our conclusions apply to other wetlands and railway lines.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

et al. 2017

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“…Also, in the Swiss Alps, the collisions with trains or cars were the third cause of mortality among eagle owls, accounting for 30% of the anthropogenic mortality (Schaub et al 2010).…”

Section: Bird Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Current Knowledge on Wildlife Mortality in Railways

Santos

Carvalho

2017

Railway Ecology

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Wildlife mortality on roads has received considerable attention in the past years, allowing the collection of abundant data for a wide range of taxonomic groups. On the contrary, studies of wildlife mortality on railway tracks are scarce and have focused primarily on a few large mammals, such as moose and bears. Nevertheless, many species are found as victims of collisions with trains, although certain taxonomic groups, such as amphibians and reptiles, and/or small bodied species are reported infrequently and their mortality is probably underestimated. However, no assessment of population impacts is known for railways.

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“…For brown bears, it varied from 5% of radio-tracked animals in the USA (n = 43; Waller and Servheen 2005) to 18% in Slovenia (n = 17; Kaczensky et al 2003). The mortality due to collisions with trains affected 5% (n = 21) of the radio-tagged eagle owls (Bubo bubo) in Switzerland, with WTCs being less important than electrocution and cable or car collisions (Schaub et al 2010). However, all these figures provide little information without the corresponding population viability analyses (PVAs).…”

Section: Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, all these figures provide little information without the corresponding population viability analyses (PVAs). In this sense, the latter paper estimated an annual 31% of population growth if the entire anthropogenic mortality of eagle owls was eliminated, but without information on the effects of removing WTCs alone (Schaub et al 2010). …”

Section: Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Railways as Barriers for Wildlife: Current Knowledge

Barrientos

Borda‐de‐Água

2017

Railway Ecology

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In this chapter we provide practical suggestions, together with examples, to identify, monitor and mitigate railway barrier effects on wildlife, as this is considered one of the railways' greatest impacts. Railways can be both physical and behavioral barriers to wildlife movement, as well as disturbance to populations living close to them. Also, mortality is recognized as an important contribution to the barrier effect. However, the consequences of habitat loss, and fragmentation due to railways alone remain largely unexplored. Barrier effects have mainly been mitigated with wildlife passes, with the effectiveness of this tool being one of the most-studied topics in Railway Ecology. Methods formerly employed to monitor pass usage, such as track beds or video-surveillance, are now being replaced by molecular ones. Among the latter methods, genetic fingerprinting allows individual-based approaches, opening the door to population-scale studies. In fact, genetic sampling allows for the assessment of functional connectivity, which is closely linked to successful reproduction and population viability, variables not necessarily coupled with crossing rates. There is strong evidence that railway verges offer new habitats for generalist species and for opportunistic individuals, a point that deserves to be experimentally explored in order to find wildlife-friendly policies. Preventing animals from crossing (e.g., by fencing), should be reserved for collision hotspots, as it increases barrier effects. Instead, it has been shown that warning signals or pole barriers effectively reduce collisions without increasing barrier effects. In this respect, we argue that computer simulations are a promising field to investigate potential impact scenarios. Finally, we present a protocol to guide planners and managers when assessing barrier effects, with emphasis on monitoring and mitigation strategies.

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Massive immigration balances high anthropogenic mortality in a stable eagle owl population: Lessons for conservation

Cited by 106 publications

References 25 publications

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

Bird Collisions in a Railway Crossing a Wetland of International Importance (Sado Estuary, Portugal)

Current Knowledge on Wildlife Mortality in Railways

Railways as Barriers for Wildlife: Current Knowledge

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